Gilbert just could not bring himself to be cruel to the woman before him. Despite everything, he took her to his place—a decrepit courtyard tucked away deep in the alleyways of the old city district.Kelvin had been taking care of his grandmother's illness here. With Kelvin around, Kisa did not have to worry about Thomas' injury. But Kelvin was not exactly thrilled to see her. As soon as he laid eyes on her, his face darkened, and he grabbed Gilbert's arm, saying in a harsh tone, "Why the hell did you bring her here? What if she rats us out to David and puts your grandma in danger?"Kisa was quick to defend herself, blurting out, "I won't tell David. I just escaped from him."Kelvin sneered, "Yeah, right. You're full of sh*t. Who knows if you and David cooked up this little scheme to mess with us.""I didn't—""Enough!" Gilbert cut her off coldly, turning to Kelvin. "Check out Thomas' injury first."Kelvin scowled. "Are you kidding me? Not only are you not kicking her out, but no
Before Kisa could finish her sentence, the creaky wooden door was suddenly pushed open, and Gilbert stood coldly at the entrance. "If you've got something to say, just say it. No need to stir up trouble here." His eyes filled with disgust.Kisa's heart sank. She averted his gaze and said, "I just want you guys to watch out for Sara. She's very likely working with David. She was responsible for the collapse in the basement of the Mullen residence."Gilbert leaned against the doorway and lit a cigarette. "She's more honest than you are," he said, his voice tinged with fatigue.Kisa felt a sudden pang. "So you don't believe me?" she asked.Kelvin suddenly let out a cold laugh. "You just said it yourself. Sara confessed to us that she was helping David, including the incident at the Mullen residence. She overheard David plotting to hurt Mrs. Kooper Sr. and risked her own life to save her. If it wasn't for her, Mrs. Kooper Sr. would probably be in David's hands right now.""No..." Kisa
"Tomorrow, you take Thomas and get out of here." Gilbert's eyes were especially cold, sending a shiver down Kisa's spine.She clenched her hands tightly and spoke in a low voice, "She spilled the soup on purpose and poured it onto her own hand."He closed his eyes slightly, his face filled with endless impatience and disappointment.He restrained his temper and growled, "Can you stop with the excuses already? Bringing you two back was a colossal mistake. Tomorrow, I want you both out of here and gone for good!"The man seemed to have returned to his initial callousness.'It was I who had wrongly accused him, hated him. And it was because of me that he ended up in this mess. How could he not despise me?' she thought in her mind.Gilbert did not seem to want to look at her. He turned to Sara and said, "I'll take care of the rest. You go have Kelvin look at your hand." Then he turned and went to cook.Sara gave Kisa a smug smile before wiping her shoulder and walking out.Kisa wat
Early morning, the alley was quiet. Kisa followed the man in silence. She quickened her pace, hoping to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with Gilbert, but he matched her speed.'Well, he hates me to the core now, so it's a miracle he even took me out. So why would he bother with me?' she thought to herself.After passing through three small alleys, they emerged onto an old street with food vendors on either side. Gilbert wordlessly bought a few sandwiches and two cups of orange juice.When the sandwiches and orange juice were handed over, Kisa was overjoyed and smiled at him, "Thank you."Gilbert avoided eye contact and replied in a monotone voice, "I'm just worried about my child going hungry." He then walked toward a small pharmacy not far away.Kisa pursed her lips and smiled, quickly following him."Symptoms?" the pharmacist glanced at Kisa's belly and asked.Kisa thought for a moment and said, "Occasional sharp pain and tightness in my belly, and a bit of spotting the night before
The house looked like it had been through a tornado. The furniture was tossed around like a game of dominoes, and broken dishes littered the floor like shattered dreams.Gilbert raced upstairs at the sight of the chaos, leaving Kisa standing there stunned. She felt a sinking feeling in her heart, sensing something was terribly wrong.Upstairs, Gilbert's voice echoed through the hallway as he frantically called out for his grandmother. Kisa's hand felt icy cold as she followed him up the stairs, stepping over bloodstains and signs of a violent struggle.There were four rooms upstairs, and as Kisa reached the landing, Gilbert came running out of Sara's room, his face a mask of panic and fear. He shouted "Grandma" over and over again, but there was no answer.Suddenly, there was a loud noise coming from Thomas's room. Kisa's heart leaped, thinking maybe Thomas had managed to escape. But as she rushed into the room, she saw Kelvin instead. Kelvin was injured, with blood streaming from
Kisa spun around frantically, only to come face to face with Thomas. Despite his sickly pallor, he looked better than he did the day before. And as soon as she saw him, she saw a glimmer of hope. She was convinced that Thomas was the only one who could clear her name. She seized his hand and demanded, "What's going on? How did David manage to track us down?"Thomas grinned at her, a tender and loving smile that made him look like a caring brother. But his words were like a sledgehammer to Kisa's heart. "David's caught Madalyn, so we don't have to keep up the charade anymore," he said.Kisa's face went ashen, and she asked, her voice quivering with tension, "What are you talking about?""Your plan was a smashing success. David nabbed Madalyn in record time, and he is thrilled. He wants to reward you. So come on, and let's go," Thomas said, trying to tug her along."That's enough! What plan? What reward? Why are you trying to defame me? Why are you out to get me? You're my brother, f
The deserted alleyway echoed with the sound of a resounding slap that shattered the silence.Kisa's eyes narrowed as she glared coldly at the man before her. "Why are you trying to smear my name?"Thomas tilted his head, a reddish-purple handprint swelling on his cheek. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, his voice tinged with guilt.Kisa laughed bitterly, a sad smile spreading across her face. "Your apologies mean nothing to me. I thought I had family in this world, but you betrayed me. You chose to stand with your biological father, and for what? To frame me? Why, Thomas? Why would you do this to your own sister?""Because I'm not your brother!" Thomas interjected, his voice low and firm.Kisa's eyes widened, shock written all over her face. "What do you mean you're not my brother?"Thomas suddenly fell silent, his eyes avoiding her gaze.In an instant, Kisa lunged forward and grabbed his arm tightly. "Then who are you? Where's my brother?" she demanded, desperation creeping into her voi
David lowered his eyes and let out a low, sinister chuckle. "Compared to the hell I went through back in the day, this punishment is a goddamn joke." He signaled for his bodyguard to unlock the door.As the iron door creaked open, a voice filled with rage and fear echoed from inside. "Who are you people? Why did you snatch me up like this?"The warehouse was bare, but it had a bed and a shoddy table piled high with enough food and supplies to get by. Sara was locked up in there too, and Madalyn lay on the bed with Sara helping her sit up. When Kisa walked in, Madalyn froze like a statue, but Sara did not miss a beat.She shot daggers at Kisa and spat out, "What the hell are you doing here, Kisa? Did you really team up with these goons to hurt Mrs. Kooper Sr.? How could you be so heartless? She's everything to Gilbert, and you're putting him in danger, you scum."As Sara tore into Kisa, Madalyn's face contorted with rage. "You despicable creature! You're just as venomous as your tra