Chapter 3

Having finished their tirade, Bethany and Chloe vanished as quickly as they'd arrived, rushing back to Evan's side.

I picked up the medical report they'd thrown at me. My hands shook as I flipped through the pages.

The diagnosis claimed Evan was suffering from long-term abuse, malnutrition, depression, and paranoid delusions.

Seeing that, I bolted out of the room, desperate to clear my name.

The doctors were already gone. The Kane sisters were huddled around Evan in a tight circle.

Amelia was peeling an apple for him, while Bethany had an arm around his shoulder, whispering soft words of comfort.

The moment Chloe spotted me, her face contorted with pure loathing. "What are you doing out here? Checking to see if we're still home so you can find another chance to bully Evan?"

Evan's eyes instantly turned red. His gaze toward me glistened with tears. "Declan, I really did learn my lesson."

The Kane sisters went into a frantic state, dabbing at his tears with tissues.

As I watched this touching display of devotion, the urge to defend myself suddenly evaporated.

Without saying a single word, I walked back into my room. I took down the portrait of the four of us—a piece the Kane sisters had painted themselves—and held a lighter to the corner. I watched in silence as the flames devoured the canvas.

Every ounce of affection I had left for them died with that fire.

I lay down on the bed and put in my earplugs, shutting out the noise outside, and drifted into sleep.

Perhaps because I had reached the point of utter despair, the Kane sisters didn't appear in my dreams for once. For the first time in ages, I actually slept well.

Early the next morning, I got up to start packing.

My walk-in closet was filled with clothes Bethany had designed for me. She used to call me the family's prince and insisted I wear something magnificent every day.

From Amelia, there were stacks of tickets—concerts, soccer matches, and flights to every corner of the globe. She told me she wanted me to see the world, so long as I always came back as the young man who loved them.

Chloe had personally prepared all my daily necessities and took care of everything for me, wanting me to rely on them for the rest of my life.

But now, I was taking all of it to the trash bins downstairs. I was throwing away all the good memories and bad blood.

I was stuffing the last of the clothes into the bin when I heard a sharp gasp. Bethany asked, her voice trembling, "Declan, why are you throwing away the clothes I made for you?"

I turned around. The Kane sisters were standing behind me, their eyes red and filled with a frantic panic.

Amelia ran to the bin and dug through the trash without a second thought for the filth. She saw the gifts from her and Chloe piled at the bottom.

Gritting their teeth, the three of them glared at me and demanded, "Declan, didn't you cherish these things? Why on earth would you throw them out?"

For a moment, I didn't know how to answer. My gaze drifted and landed on the garment Bethany was holding.

"I just figured it was time for some new clothes from you, Bethany. And I thought Amelia and Chloe would want to update my things, too. The old stuff was taking up too much space, so I cleared some out."

I took a step toward Bethany and pointed at the shirt in her hands. "Is that a new shirt for me, Bethany?"

Bethany looked even more flustered. She instinctively tried to hide the shirt behind her back.

I let my gaze drop, feigning disappointment. "Oh. I guess it's not for me."

When they saw my dejected expression, a flash of heartache crossed their faces. They lost the nerve to grill me further about the trash.

Amelia sighed softly. "Declan, Evan doesn't have any clothes here, so Bethany designed a few things for him. Don't start being jealous again."