Chapter 5

I tilted my head up proudly.

"See, I'm actually not that dumb."

My brain is slow, but I can always remember things very well after experiencing them once.

I remember back then, Wyatt and Cole also held my hands with teary eyes, telling me how much Vivian suffered out there and how pitiful she was.

I was so naive then that I thought my brothers were just sharing secrets with me, so I nodded happily.

But the day after that talk, I was the only one left in the massive estate.

Under the sympathetic gazes of the butlers, I finally realized that my brothers had taken Vivian on vacation, leaving me behind.

Did I cry that day? I forgot.

I only remember that similar things happened more and more often after that.

I gradually got used to staying in the estate alone, waiting for the three of them to return noisily.

I also got used to accepting the arrangements of fate, just like an insignificant object.

So, Hunter, you don't need to worry.

I may be clumsy, but my biggest strength is being very good at forming habits.

Thus, in the days that followed.

I got used to the other woman in the estate.

I got used to sleeping alone in the guest room.

I got used to Sadie demanding affection from Hunter right in front of me, affection that used to be just for me.

And I was even more used to apologizing to Sadie several times a day.

One day, Hunter took me to an unfamiliar office building and had me sign a document. It was full of legal terms I couldn't quite understand. I only remember him saying it was to protect me.

Afterward, his men took me away from the estate overnight to an isolated safe house.

Soon, I got used to living alone again.

I mentioned wanting to leave, but Hunter disagreed every time.

He bought me a lot of expensive things and wired a lot of money to my card.

He would send a large number of armed bodyguards to monitor me, and pile boxes of cash and precious jewelry in the room.

He said it was unsafe outside, saying the mafia families were at war, and that I needed his protection.

He told many scary stories, saying the streets were full of danger, and I was so frightened that I never dared to go out again.

I don't know if I hadn't fully recovered from my last illness, but lately, my nose kept bleeding, and I even started coughing up blood.

My brothers and Hunter used to tell me to see a doctor if I felt unwell.

But there were no mob doctors arranged by Hunter in this new safe house, so I had to go out and find a clinic myself.

But I was too clumsy and couldn't find the way.

I stumbled along until the sky turned completely dark.

Following the direction in my memory, I instinctively came to the old Catholic church downtown.

Back then, my brothers held me and said, "As long as you see the beacon light in the church tower, your brothers are protecting you. That is the safest place."

Therefore, every time I found myself in a desperate situation, I would look up to search for that light.

The throbbing pain in my lungs made it almost impossible to breathe. My face was deathly pale. Unable to hold on any longer, I fell to my knees on the stone steps in front of the church.

I raised my hand, wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, and tried desperately to find that safe light.

But I searched and searched, only to find that the towering structure had long gone pitch black.

The light that shone for me had gone out. I couldn't find it anymore.

Amid violent coughing fits, I threw up dark red blood, staining my clothes.

Just as I collapsed, a bulletproof black SUV slammed to a halt by the road with a screech of brakes.

The door was kicked open, and I heard a trembling voice I hadn't heard in years. "Piper..."

Through half-closed eyes, I struggled to look over, and two familiar faces entered my vision.

It was my brothers.

Right at this moment, an anxious shout accompanied by heavy footsteps suddenly rang out from the dark night behind me.

"Piper! Piper, where are you?"

It was Hunter, who had finally found me.