Sadie Douglas's six older brothers had taken in an orphan girl named Lorena Houston.

"Lorena's not in good health. It's no big deal if you give her a kidney, right?" Before Sadie could respond, her brothers knocked her out and dragged her into the operating room.

And just like that, she lost a kidney-without ever being given a choice.

"Lorena doesn't want you in the house. You need to leave." That was how Sadie was thrown out by the brothers who were supposed to protect her.

Later, she uncovered proof that Lorena had plagiarized academic work and faked medical records. She tried to expose the truth.

"She's lying. To stop her from spreading rumors, make her mute." They forced poison down her throat.

Writhing in pain, Sadie begged them, "Please... just let me go. I know I was wrong."

"To keep her from bullying Lorena any further, we're sending her to a psych ward."

The next time they saw Sadie, she was already a cold, lifeless corpse.

*****

Sadie opened her eyes.

She was back-alive-and saw her six brothers standing on the shore, doting on Lorena as always.

'Wait... wasn't I dead?' Her heart throbbed with sharp, searing pain.

Before she could process it, Lorena suddenly kicked her into the swimming pool.

It wasn't until a few minutes later that Jeremy Douglas realized Sadie had vanished.

When he looked into the water, he saw her body sinking to the bottom.

His face went pale. "Sadie!"

With a loud splash, Jeremy dove in without hesitation.

From the shore, Lorena watched Sadie sink-and couldn't help but feel thrilled. 'Good. Let her die.'

Feigning weakness, she clung to Malik Douglas's sleeve and whispered softly, "Malik, I want to help save her. She only fell in because of me."

Malik had been worried, but hearing that, he quickly tried to comfort her. "Jeremy's already in the water-that's enough. Sadie brought this on herself. She's not going to die."

He turned toward the pool again, his eyes flickering with something unreadable.

Underwater, Sadie saw Jeremy swimming toward her, his face full of real concern.

But just moments ago, he was the one who forced her to apologize and coldly watched her drown.

She didn't need his help-not anymore.

A bitter smirk flickered in her eyes as she turned and swam to the surface on her own.

In her last life, after nearly drowning, Jeremy had made her take swimming lessons with Lorena.

The experience left her deeply traumatized, but to please him, she forced herself to learn. In the end, all he did was praise Lorena for being brave and conquering her fears.

No one ever asked what Sadie had gone through. No one cared that she had lingering trauma from being left in the water too long.

All Jeremy ever saw was Lorena.

"Sadie, what the hell are you doing now? You think pretending to drown makes up for what you just did?"

Jeremy blocked her path, eyeing her suspiciously. 'When did she learn how to swim?'

Sadie looked up at him. She used to adore him the most.

Ethan Douglas had always been strict. Only Jeremy had shown her the slightest warmth.

But now, all she could see in his eyes was disgust and impatience.

Lorena's delicate voice floated over. "Jeremy, don't blame Sadie. I know she's never liked me being part of the Douglas family. I was too greedy-I shouldn't have hoped to have a family. Please don't fight because of me... You all mean so much to me."

Malik turned and glared at Sadie. "Happy now? If her father hadn't died saving you, she wouldn't even be an orphan! We never should've saved a thankless brat like you. Would've been better if you died that day!"

Jeremy frowned. "Sadie, have a heart. We should treat Lorena like family. The Douglas family owes her-and so do you. Understand?"

Ethan added coldly, "Someone as ungrateful as her wouldn't understand. If she did, she wouldn't have pushed Lorena into the water. Even saving a dog would've been better than saving her."

Sadie felt like she was standing in the middle of a barren wasteland, cold all the way down to her bones.

If she had the choice, she would've rather drowned than been dragged out of that pool.

Gritting through the burning pain in her lungs, she forced out a hoarse whisper, "You're right. It was my fault. It won't happen again."

Because she'd never be that foolish again.

If they all preferred Lorena as their little sister-fine. She was done fighting for that spot.

"Sadie, are you serious? Do you have any idea Lorena can't swim? You could've gotten her killed!"

Jeremy's voice was filled with disappointment. He'd assumed it was an accident. He never imagined Sadie would actually try to harm Lorena.

When had she become so vicious?

Just then, the family doctor came rushing over. Malik turned back and snapped at Sadie, "You'd better pray she's okay. Otherwise, when Ethan gets back, you'll wish you were never born."

Jeremy walked a few steps before glancing over his shoulder. He saw Sadie standing there alone, soaked to the skin, her face ghostly pale. A flicker of guilt crossed his face.

"Go back to your room and change," he said. "The party's about to start."

Sadie didn't respond.

A moment later, the courtyard was empty-she'd been left completely alone.

She waited until they were all out of sight, then bent over, coughing violently as if her lungs might collapse.

She swallowed the metallic taste rising in her throat and dragged herself back to her room.

She sank into the bathtub, eyes closed, and memories from her past life came flooding back-wandering the streets, consumed by hatred, plotting to kill Lorena.

But she failed.

Ethan had her locked up in a mental hospital. The caretaker Lorena had arranged tormented her until the day she died.

Sadie covered her face and let out a low, eerie laugh. 'Well, isn't that just perfect.'

When she opened her eyes again, they were icy cold-completely void of emotion.

After changing into fresh clothes, she looked around the bedroom. It still felt unfamiliar.

In her last life, even this room had eventually been given to Lorena. Sadie had been moved to a tiny guest room at the end of the hall.

Her gaze fell on a framed family photo on the desk-a young couple holding a baby, six little boys gathered around them.

She had barely turned a few years old when her parents were killed in a car crash.

The driver had saved her first. But when he went back for her parents, the car exploded. He died in the blast.

That driver was Lorena's father-his only child, frail and sickly since birth.

After the accident, Ethan brought Lorena into the family and raised her alongside Sadie.

And from that moment on, everything changed.

Her favorite brothers-all of them-gradually began to drift toward Lorena.

"Lorena's health is delicate, so I hired a chef just for her. Sadie, make sure she eats properly."

"Sadie, Lorena wants to learn painting too. You've learned enough-let her have your teacher."

"Sadie, drop out of this competition. Lorena came in second, and she's worked really hard. Let her represent the school instead."

"Sadie, her scores are lower than yours. Apply to the same university so you can keep an eye on her."

Sadie pressed her hands to her temples, pain crawling through her chest like a nest of thorns.

She took slow, shallow breaths until the stabbing eased.

She never wanted anything to do with the Douglas family again.

She tucked the photo away and quietly began packing her things.

Before long, a servant knocked at the door. "Ms. Douglas, the party's starting. Jeremy asked you to head down after you change."

"Got it."

Sadie opened the door and walked straight toward the sound of laughter and music outside.

The servant's eyes widened in shock. She muttered, "What in the world is she wearing? Has she finally snapped?"

Out in the garden, the party was already in full swing.

Lorena stood under the lights in a white evening gown, her long black hair draped over her shoulders, looking like the perfect picture of sweet innocence.

Jeremy and Malik stood beside her, watching over her with soft, affectionate smiles.

It was the perfect family scene-heartwarming and serene.

Jeremy couldn't help thinking of Sadie. 'If only she could be this gentle. This well-behaved.'

Over the years, she'd grown more defiant. More unruly. Impossible to deal with.

"Sadie's here!" someone suddenly shouted.

The moment Sadie appeared, every head turned to look at her.

Under their gazes, she remained expressionless.

She was dressed simply-in just a short-sleeved top-but wore a diamond-encrusted crown on her head and an oversized pink diamond ring on her finger.

Snickers erupted around the room.

"What is she wearing? That's ridiculous. She looks like she raided a costume box."

"Totally trying to flaunt her wealth. Clearly trying to show off and make Lorena look bad."

Sadie walked straight up to Lorena, her voice calm and composed. "Congratulations. You've finally become an official member of the Douglas family."

In her previous life, that moment had marked the beginning of her personal hell.

No matter how hard she tried to win their affection-how sweet, obedient, or accommodating she was-the brothers all gradually turned to Lorena. Jeremy had even once said he wished Lorena were their real sister instead.

Well, not this time. She was done chasing after the illusion of family.

Lorena's eyes darted toward Sadie's glittering accessories, jealousy flaring up inside her. But her face stayed as innocent as ever.

She shrank back slightly, then responded in a soft, cautious voice, "Sadie, I know you're upset. But I promise-I'll never try to take your brothers from you. I'll always just be an outsider. You're their real sister. There's no way I could ever compare."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened with tears.

Sadie's lips curved into a smirk, cold and mocking. 'What a perfect little bitch.'

She'd fallen for this harmless act in her previous life-right up until the day she died. Only then did she finally see Lorena's true face.

Malik hurried to comfort her. "Don't cry, Lorena. Who said you're just an outsider? Starting today, you're my sister too."

Lorena lowered her gaze, hiding the flicker of triumph that passed through her eyes.

Jeremy stepped forward and held out a box. "Lorena, this is for you."

Lorena blinked, looking stunned. "Jeremy, isn't that for Sadie? I-I couldn't possibly accept it!"

Sadie took one glance at the box and immediately knew what was inside-a limited-edition collectible.

Of course. In her previous life, Jeremy had done the exact same thing. He'd taken the gift she'd waited months for and handed it to Lorena as a peace offering.

Jeremy said, "Take it. She owes you."

Malik frowned. "Sadie, even though Lorena isn't blaming you for pushing her into the pool, and Jeremy's already offered a gift on your behalf, where's your apology?"

Sadie nodded slightly. "I figured you'd say that. That's why I brought a gift too."

She calmly removed each piece of jewelry she was wearing and began placing them one by one on a nearby tray.

"This Vintage Firebird Tiara was a gift from Ethan."

"This Emerald Drop Pendant came from Jeremy."

"This valuable medication? Cordell gave me that."

"This rare pink diamond ring-your gift, Malik."

"This bracelet is from Brent."

"And this gold trophy came from Rhett."

Sadie lined each item up neatly. "Every one of these means a lot to me. But as an apology gift, I think they're sincere enough."

She had prepared for this exact moment. She knew Malik would press her about an apology, so she'd brought everything they had ever given her.

Since Lorena entered the picture, the brothers hadn't given her anything truly meaningful. These items were all she had left-and even those, she knew, would eventually be reclaimed and handed over to Lorena anyway.

Malik's expression froze when he saw what was in the tray.

These were all things Sadie used to treasure.

How dare she?

Jeremy's face darkened. "Sadie, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Sadie's expression didn't waver. "I told you-they're part of my apology. Malik, are they good enough for you?"

Lorena glanced at the tray, startled. She couldn't tell what Sadie was up to. 'Is this another one of her schemes? A trick to retreat in order to advance?'

Quickly, she spoke up. "Sadie, these were gifts from your brothers. They're way too expensive-I can't accept them."

Malik snapped, "Exactly! These were given to you. You can't just give them away like they mean nothing!"

Lorena's smile faltered slightly. She bit her lip and murmured, "He's right, Sadie. I'm just someone from the outside... I don't deserve gifts like these."

Realizing he'd phrased it badly, Malik rushed to fix it. "That's not what I meant, Lorena. I'll get you something new, something that's yours. You shouldn't have to take someone else's leftovers."

Lorena's tears instantly turned into a bright smile. "Thank you, Malik."

Malik's heart melted. 'Now this-this is what a real little sister should be like.'

Jeremy sighed, clearly frustrated. "Sadie, what are you trying to pull this time?"

Those gifts-Sadie had always treated them like precious treasures. She never even let anyone touch them.

And now she was giving all of them to Lorena, just to apologize?

Was she trying to cut ties with them?

Or was this her way of lashing out after he gave her collectible figure to Lorena without asking?

He didn't believe for a second that she truly meant to give them away.

"She's just trying to get attention," someone said sharply. "Does she really think we can't see through it? Sadie, when will you finally grow up and act more like Lorena?"

Sadie's tone was flat. "These gifts are worth tens of millions. As an apology, I'd say that's sincere enough, wouldn't you? Or are you having second thoughts, Malik?"

Malik froze, caught off guard. "That's not what I meant..."

"Then let's make it official," Sadie said. "Everyone here can be a witness. These are now part of my apology."

Jeremy frowned, his voice tightening. "Sadie, stop it already."

'How could she just give away something so important?' Jeremy thought.

'Even if she is mad at Malik, she doesn't have to throw out the things we've all given her.'

Sadie met his gaze coolly. "Do I look like I'm playing around?"

Then she pushed the tray into Lorena's hands. "They're yours now."

And with that, she walked away-not just from the gifts, but from the brothers too.

Lorena's smile stiffened. She could feel the tension in Jeremy and Malik, and it made her uneasy.

The tray burned in her palms. She hadn't expected Sadie to go this far. It completely threw her off.

If she didn't handle this carefully, she'd definitely end up on the receiving end of the brothers' frustration.

'When did Sadie become so hard to deal with?' she wondered.

Before she could come up with a response, Sadie had already turned and walked off.

"Sadie! Get back here!" Malik shouted angrily.

'Using the gifts I gave her as an apology? What kind of joke is that?'

But Sadie didn't even pause.

Jeremy shook his head. "She's getting more and more out of control."

He felt a dull ache in his chest. That emerald pendant he'd given her... it was the first thing he bought with the money he earned on his own. It wasn't just a gift-it had meaning.

Malik clenched his fists. "Exactly. She did it on purpose-to get under our skin."

Lorena listened to them, gritting her teeth quietly.

Sadie's tactic had clearly worked. She was already driving a wedge between them. 'That woman can't be allowed to win.'

Clutching the tray, she looked up with teary eyes. "Jeremy, Malik... did I mess up again? How could I possibly accept something so precious to Sadie? What should I do?"

'Damn that Sadie-setting me up like this!' she thought.

Malik scowled. "It's her apology gift. Just take it. I give it three days before she comes crawling back for it."

He was already picturing that moment-and when it came, he'd make sure Sadie regretted every second of it.

Jeremy's voice softened. "Let's do this, Lorena. Just hold on to it for now. Once she cools off, she'll come back around."

Sadie had thrown tantrums before. And every time, she ended up apologizing and making up for it.

He didn't believe she'd really give all of that up.

Lorena gave a sweet, obedient smile. "Okay. I'll take good care of it."

Jeremy let out a breath. Once, Sadie had been this well-behaved too. He could only hope she'd come to her senses soon.

He looked over at the quiet and gentle Lorena standing beside him, and for a moment, he felt reassured. 'Thank goodness Lorena isn't like her.'

*****

Back in her room, Sadie lay down. The dizziness from earlier-probably from falling into the water-was still lingering.

She closed her eyes the moment her head hit the pillow.

She needed to figure out how to get out of the Douglas family-for good. She wanted to support herself and live independently.

In her previous life, after the important exam, she had scored high enough for a top university. But because of one offhand comment from Malik, she ended up applying to the second-rate school Lorena chose.

She became Lorena's personal servant-doing everything for her, taking the fall for her mistakes.

Whenever she stepped out of line, her credit card would get frozen. Despite being a wealthy heiress, she lived worse than students on financial aid.

In the end, Lorena even stole her painstakingly written thesis. She was accused of plagiarism and expelled in disgrace.

She wasn't letting any of that happen again.

This time, she would get into a top university.

As for tuition and living expenses? She could join an esports team and earn prize money.

With the skills she'd developed in her previous life, she could definitely still make a living in the gaming world.

After the party ended, Jeremy went up to the second floor and stood outside her room.

He hesitated before knocking.

No answer.

The door was locked.

Just then, someone called out behind him, "Jeremy! Lorena's running a fever-come quick!"

When Jeremy heard the commotion, he withdrew his hand.

Downstairs, he found Lorena flushed and clearly feverish. "I'll get the car. We're going to the hospital," he said without hesitation.

He and Malik left together to take her to the ER.

*****

Upstairs, in the second-floor bedroom, Sadie lay in bed, her face burning with fever, sweat soaking her sheets.

All night, her body felt light and floaty, drifting in and out of relentless nightmares.

The next morning, her phone wouldn't stop buzzing with notifications.

Grimacing, Sadie cracked her eyes open and picked up her phone, her expression dark. It was flooded with private messages from a social app.

She opened them-only to find wave after wave of verbal abuse.

She wasn't surprised.

Someone had filmed her shoving Lorena into the pool and posted it to the school forum the night before. Lorena was beloved on campus, and now the whole student body was out for blood.

Sadie's head pounded. Annoyed and on edge, she jumped straight into the comments section and started firing back.

She went full scorched-earth: profanity, insults, name-calling-no filters, no restraint.

Within minutes, the thread blew up with thousands of replies. The forum admins were so shocked, they thought the site had been hacked.

After dropping her verbal bombs, Sadie tossed her phone aside and collapsed back into bed.

She didn't have to play the "good girl" anymore. Didn't have to win anyone's approval. She was done living with her head down.

Not long after, someone knocked on the door.

"Ms. Douglas, it's time to get up for school. You're going to be late."

...Right. School.

Sadie sat up with a groan. She did still have classes.

She splashed her face with cold water to wake herself up. If she wanted out of the Douglas family, she needed to finish school-and ace her exams so she could get far away.

After throwing on her school uniform and grabbing her backpack, she headed downstairs.

Just as she reached the bottom, Jeremy and Malik came in through the front door.

Jeremy immediately noticed the flush on her cheeks. Without thinking, he stepped forward to check her forehead.

But Sadie took a step back, dodging his hand, and walked straight to the dining table without a word.

She needed to eat. Get her strength up. She had to stay healthy if she wanted to crush her exams and get into Wonder University.

Jeremy's hand froze midair before he awkwardly let it drop.

Malik let out a snort. "Told you she's cold-blooded. Strong as an ox, too-unlike Lorena, who's been sickly since she was a kid. She falls into the water once and ends up with a fever. But Sadie? She never gets sick. Not once."

Jeremy didn't argue. Sadie had always been physically resilient.

He walked over to the dining table. "Lorena's sick. While she's recovering, I want you to look after her at school. Make sure she's okay. Understood?"

He was done spoiling her. If Sadie couldn't learn gratitude the easy way, she'd learn it the hard way.

Malik chimed in. "Her father saved your life. Then you almost killed her. You owe her, Sadie. Taking care of her is the least you can do."

Sadie kept her head down, silently eating breakfast. Even though her stomach turned, she forced herself to finish.

There were fewer than a hundred days left until the exam. After that, she'd be free.

But her indifference only made Malik angrier. He slammed his hand on the table and grabbed her fork. "We're talking to you! What, are you deaf?"

Sadie looked up. Her eyes were dark and calm, a clear contrast to the chaos around her.

Malik barked, "When Lorena takes her meds, you bring the water. At lunch, you run to the cafeteria and bring her food-make sure it's still hot. If she needs to go to the bathroom, you take her. Her dad saved your life. This is your debt to repay. Got it?"

Sadie's voice was flat. "Got it."

But that didn't mean she planned on doing it.

Expressionless, she walked out of the villa. She looked up at the sky, blinking fast to force the tears back down.

She thought getting a second chance at life would mean she'd be numb to this kind of pain.

But hearing Malik say those words still felt like a dagger to the chest.

She remembered, as a kid, when she got sick, Jeremy used to stay by her side all night. Malik would crack jokes and coax her into taking medicine.

Now, because Lorena was the "fragile" one, they rushed to take care of her the moment she sneezed.

And Sadie? Even when she burned with fever, she had to take care of herself.

She swallowed the bitterness rising in her throat, climbed into the car, and leaned back with her eyes closed.

Just hold on a little longer. Less than a hundred days to go.

*****

When she arrived at school, she headed straight for the senior classroom.

The moment she stepped inside, the buzzing chatter fell silent.

News of Sadie's brutal takedown in the school forum had spread like wildfire.

Now, everyone was asking the same thing-had she completely lost it?

"What happened to Sadie? Did she just snap? It's like she doesn't care about anything anymore."

"She probably realized she'll never clear her name, so she just stopped pretending. Honestly, this feels more like the real her."

Sadie could hear the whispers all around her, but she couldn't have cared less. She dropped her bag on the desk, laid her head down, and went straight to sleep.

She stayed like that all morning-completely checked out.

When lunch break finally rolled around, Lorena showed up in the classroom.

She still had an IV needle taped to her hand, immediately drawing sympathy from her classmates as soon as she walked in.

Sadie frowned slightly, rolled over, and changed sleeping positions.

A few moments later, someone slammed their hand down hard on her desk.

Annoyed, Sadie lifted her head, eyes sharp and slightly glazed with fatigue-but with a definite edge of danger in them.

Standing in front of her was Lorena, flanked by two of her ever-loyal sidekicks, both wearing impatient expressions.

Sadie narrowed her eyes slightly.

She knew these two well. Lorena's tag-alongs. They were regulars in her personal hell-spreading rumors, ganging up to bully her, even fabricating "evidence" to rat her out to her brothers.

Lorena leaned in, voice soft and saccharine. "Sadie, what would you like for lunch? I can get it for you. Please don't be mad at me, okay?"

Sadie's reply was cold and to the point. "Not necessary."

Sidekick 1 bristled immediately. "Sadie, you've got some nerve. Lorena's sick, and you still act like this?"

Sidekick 2 chimed in, voice dripping with indignation. "Exactly! It's because of you that she got sick in the first place. The least you can do is take care of her."

Lorena coughed weakly. "Don't say that. I can take care of myself. I always have. Let's not upset her again, okay?"

"You're just too kind, Lorena. That's why people walk all over you," one of them muttered.

Sadie had had enough.

She stood up and headed for the door, ready to get out of this mess.

But as she stepped into the hallway, Lorena suddenly rushed after her-just as the IV stand toppled over with a loud crash.

And, what a miraculous coincidence-Lorena landed right on top of the shattered IV bottle.

Truly, the stars had aligned.

The classroom exploded into chaos.

Sadie's headache pounded harder with the noise. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get a word out, the world spun and went black.

*****

When Sadie came to, the sharp smell of disinfectant hit her nose.

The school infirmary.

"Temperature's 102.2. What, you trying to see how close you can get to spontaneous combustion?" came a dry, sarcastic voice.

Sadie turned her head.

The man beside her was tall and lean, wearing a white lab coat and surgical mask. His eyes were cool and distant.

Oh, right-this was the new school doctor. Good-looking enough to be trending in school gossip, especially with the female students.

But his mouth was notoriously sharp.

She remembered now: he hadn't stayed long in her previous life.

Sitting up slowly, Sadie felt noticeably better. The IV must've helped.

Lowering her eyes, she said, "Can I leave now?"

"Not until a family member picks you up. I'm not interested in being held responsible if you collapse on the street," Sean Francis replied lazily from his seat.

Yep-definitely the acid-tongued campus medic.

Her voice was hoarse. "I don't have any family."

Right as she said it, a familiar voice echoed from outside the infirmary.

"Lorena! Are you okay? How did you get so badly hurt?"

"It's nothing, Malik. Just a little scratch. Please don't blame Sadie-she didn't mean it. I wasn't careful and knocked over the IV stand. I'm just clumsy."

Sidekick 1 wasted no time jumping in. "That's not what happened! Lorena offered to get lunch for Sadie, and Sadie lost it-she totally tripped her on purpose! We all saw it!"

Sidekick 2 added, "Exactly! Lorena's already sick, and she still thought to ask if Sadie had eaten. And that's how she repays her? By pushing her over?"

Malik's fury flared in an instant, his voice laced with rage.

"Where's Sadie? Get out here right now! How dare you let Lorena get you food? Her father should've let you die in that crash instead of saving you-at least then you wouldn't be here to torment his daughter!"

Inside the infirmary, Sadie heard every word loud and clear.

She let out a dry, mocking laugh.

Just like last time. Lorena's word was gospel.

The next second, the privacy curtain next to her bed was yanked open.

Sadie looked up.

Her face was pale, lips dry and cracked, her body clearly weak and feverish.

"Sadie, you-"

Malik's words caught in his throat the moment he saw her.

Whatever rage he'd come storming in with vanished under the sight of her sickly, exhausted face.

Sadie doubled over, coughing violently into her hand.

Her thin back trembled as she hunched over, like she might cough up a lung at any moment.

Malik's tone was sharp and unforgiving. "Don't think for a second that playing sick and acting all pitiful is going to get you out of this. I told you to take care of Lorena at school-bring her water, get her lunch. And what did you do? You made her, a sick girl, bring lunch to you. As if that wasn't enough, you didn't even show any gratitude. You tripped her instead. Do you even have a conscience?"

Sadie fought to catch her breath. "I didn't push her. She just-"

"Oh, let me guess. You're going to say she slipped on her own?" Malik cut her off. "That's the excuse you're going with? Do you really think I'm that stupid? Just admit you did it."

Sadie's eyes stung. Still, she forced herself to straighten her back and said quietly, but firmly, "I didn't."

Smack.

A sharp slap landed across her face, heat and pain blooming instantly on her cheek.

But the sting on her skin was nothing compared to the ache in her chest.

She was so used to this kind of pain, she barely felt it anymore.

"What the hell, Malik?" Jeremy stepped in, grabbing his arm.

"She did something so cruel and still won't admit it," Malik snapped. "I don't need a sister who's this heartless."

At the doorway, Lorena stood with her hand wrapped in gauze, her eyes red, her expression fragile and pitiful.

She spoke up gently, voice shaking with emotion, "Malik, I already said-it was my fault. Sadie had nothing to do with it."

"You're just too kind, Lorena," Malik said, jaw tight. "That's exactly why I have to teach her a lesson. She needs to learn some decency before it's too late."

Just as he raised his hand again, a harsh scraping sound cut through the room-the legs of a chair dragged sharply against the floor.

Sadie turned to look.

Sean leaned casually against a desk, arms crossed, his face emotionless. Behind the surgical mask, his eyes were icy cold. "You two her legal guardians?"

Jeremy nodded. "Yes. We're her brothers."

"She's running a fever of 102. Has signs of infection. Needs further tests. She's also hypoglycemic and borderline malnourished."

Malik froze. "Wait... she's actually sick?"

He had thought she was just faking it to avoid taking responsibility.

Sean's tone didn't change. "Maybe get your eyes checked. It's not exactly subtle."

Her face was pale, her body visibly weak-how was that not obvious?