Chapter 2

Cody quickly said, “Moon, that’s not what he meant.

“He heard you were getting married, so he was worried Justin wouldn’t want him around!”

The iciness in Moon’s eyes faded as she understood. She walked over to the couch and sat down. Then, she lit a slender cigarette.

Moon casually reached out and pressed the burning tip against Yale’s arm.

“Ah!!!”

Moon did not even flinch at his scream. Her voice was cold and indifferent. “Yale, don’t think too highly of yourself.

“Someone like you can’t affect Justin. Stay here and behave yourself.”

The skin on his arm burned, and he could smell the faint scent of scorched flesh. But the ache in his heart was worse.

Yale had wanted to tell her that he was leaving, but he did not want to cause any more trouble. He covered the burn and said in a trembling voice, “I understand.”

Moon glanced at him. “I hope you do. If you’re so worried about Justin not liking you, then go take good care of him.

“There’s porridge warming in the kitchen. Take it to him.”

Yale forced himself to stand and walked to the kitchen.

He filled a bowl with porridge. The familiar smell made his eyes sting.

He knew Moon had made it herself.

Whenever he was sick in the past, Moon would cook for him.

He had once been amazed that the head of the Xavier family could cook so well. Moon had tapped him on the nose and said, “If you like it that much, I’ll make it for you for the rest of my life.”

Those words still echoed in his mind, but everything had changed.

Yale wiped away his tears and carried the porridge to Justin’s room.

Justin looked up at him and gave him a cold smile. Then, he suddenly stuck out his leg.

Yale was caught off guard. He lost his balance and dropped the bowl.

“It’s so hot! Yale, what did I ever do to you? Why did you purposely spill it on me?” Justin shouted.

Cody was the first to hear the commotion. He rushed into the room.

One look at the mess changed his expression. He shoved Yale hard. “What the hell are you doing?!

“I was afraid you’d actually do something to yourself because of my sister, so I went out of my way to get you a place by her side. I’ve done more than enough for you. So, why are you still hurting Justin?”

Yale hit the corner of the table. The back of his head split open.

He sucked in a sharp breath. After a long while, he used the wall for support and slowly got back on his feet. “Cody, take a good look. Who actually seems hurt?”

Cody froze. Only then did he realize that Justin was completely unharmed.

Yale was the one who had been burned by the spilled hot porridge. The back of his hand was red and swollen.

The commotion caught Moon’s attention too. She walked into the room. “What happened?”

“Moon, he deliberately burned me!” Justin grabbed Moon’s sleeve. His voice was full of pain.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Cody’s face, but he said, “That’s right.”

Yale almost laughed.

What had he been hoping for?

He did not look at Cody again. His voice was calm. “There are security cameras all over the house. You can pull up the footage.”

Justin and Cody clearly had not thought of that. They exchanged a nervous glance.

“Pull up the footage?” Moon repeated with a faintly amused smile. “Do you really think you’re worth that much trouble?

“Even if you didn’t do it on purpose, you still dropped the bowl. That makes it your fault. Mr. Carter, deal with it according to the rules.”

Yale stared at her in disbelief. After a long silence, he laughed.

How could he have forgotten?

When Moon loved someone, she always took their side.

She had once treated him the same way, and she was doing the same for Justin.

Liam immediately followed her orders. He brought over a kettle and had several servants force Yale’s hands open.

Fear finally hit Yale. “What are you doing? No! Stop! My hands!”

Scalding water poured over his hands. His hands were badly burned, and the skin began to peel.

Pain shot through him.

His face turned deathly pale, and his entire body shook.

“Moon!” Cody panicked. “Yale used to be an incredible surgeon. You don’t have to ruin his hands!”

Moon’s eyes flickered for a moment, but her voice remained cold. “Ruining them is for the best. That might make him think twice about leaving for another job.

“Keep going until Justin is satisfied.”

Yale had no idea how long it went on.

When he finally regained consciousness, everyone else was gone. He lay alone on the floor and was barely able to move.

He looked down at his hands.

His hands were covered in swollen blisters, and his nails had turned dark.

Those were his hands!

They were the same hands that had once saved Cody and Moon after they were both accidentally shot. He had worked for more than forty hours without sleep to save them. They had called him a miracle worker.

Yet his hands were ruined.

He was barely able to stay conscious when he heard a commotion downstairs.

A farmer stood in the foyer in wrinkled clothes. He held a large sack in one hand and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the other.

Then, he gave the servants an awkward smile. “I’m here to see my son. He’s Moon’s boyfriend.

“I brought some fresh vegetables too. I grew them myself. Yale and Moon both love them.”