Chapter 2

I suddenly felt a little scared. My brothers ended up treating me that way. Would Hunter do the same?

Was he going to start losing his patience with me too?

Was he going to start thinking I was clumsy and dumb? Would he curse me and ask why I didn't just go die, exactly like my brothers had?

My vision blurred with tears. I blinked helplessly, and a teardrop rolled down, hitting the carpet with a soft tap.

I lowered my head and stared at that little wet spot for a very, very long time.

When I finally looked up again, the massive hall was empty.

Hunter had carried that woman into the master bedroom.

I was afraid that following them would make Hunter angry again, afraid of hearing him tell me to step back one more time.

So I didn't dare go upstairs. I curled up on the sofa downstairs.

It was so weird. I felt freezing cold, but my body felt burning hot at the same time, like it was on fire.

As my consciousness groggily faded into darkness, I thought I heard footsteps coming from the stairs.

I thought Hunter had finally remembered me. I looked up, full of joy.

But what met my eyes was a woman with slightly messy hair, wearing my favorite pajamas.

Her neck was exposed, covered in red marks. A few of them even had bleeding bite marks.

Sadie casually pulled her collar together. Her tone was deliberately breathy.

"I'm sorry, Hunter has been pent up for too long. He was a bit rough just now. I hope you don't mind."

She paused, pulling back her evaluating gaze. "So you're the Donna."

I looked at the red marks on her body. I thought Hunter had hurt someone in a fit of rage, just like he used to do.

Afraid that Sadie would hold a grudge against Hunter because of this, I forced my weak, feverish body up and dug through the medicine cabinet in the living room.

Under her curious gaze, I found a few band-aids and carefully handed them to her.

"You're bleeding. Put these on, and it won't hurt anymore."

"Please don't be mad at Hunter, and don't shout at him, okay?"

Sadie looked surprised for a moment. A second later, she suddenly burst out laughing. Her eyes were full of malice.

"The street rumors make you out to be some kind of genius, saying how amazing you are at taming our ruthless Don. I thought you were some kind of mastermind!"

"Turns out you're just an idiot."

I froze and pursed my lips. My chest felt incredibly heavy.

I never really cared about these things in the past.

Before, when people in the syndicate called me an idiot or a freak, I just pretended not to hear them and still looked up at them with a silly smile.

But Hunter cared about those words immensely.

He stood up for me time and time again, teaching me what it meant to be angry.

I raised my head and looked at her seriously.

"Apologize. Hunter said no one is allowed to call me an idiot."

A hint of mockery flashed across her face as she slowly walked toward me.

The next second, she raised the steaming hot coffee in her hand. Her eyes turned vicious, and she threw the hot liquid right at me.

My leg, which had been burned by a cigarette, still ached terribly on rainy days.

I was terrified of pain, so I instinctively reached out and gave her a hard shove.

Suddenly, her cry of pain rang out.

"Ah! My hand. It burns! Hunter, save me, it hurts so much!"