In a daring move, Sara had slipped away from the guards when they were distracted and broken free from the detention center. Burning with vengeance against Gilbert and Kisa, she had stormed into Ada's school brandishing a knife and taken her hostage.Gilbert had already taken off alone in pursuit of Sara when Davian's call reached Kisa.Panic surged through Kisa as she hung up and rushed out of the bar. Earlier, the weather had been merely hot and sticky, but now, a torrential downpour unleashed its fury. The heavy curtain of rain only heightened Kisa's sense of dread. She jumped into her car and raced off in the direction Davian had described.The memory of Sara's cruelty and insanity sent shivers down Kisa's spine. She couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to Ada and Gilbert.As Kisa navigated a lonely stretch of road, a horrifying sight came into view: a car, twisted and overturned from a violent crash. Shattered glass littered the ground while thick, white smoke billo
Kisa tenderly wiped away the mud and grime from Gilbert's hands and face with a warm, damp towel. Finishing her task, she held his hand tightly and whispered, "It's over now. Everything's going to be okay. Ada's safe too. If you're exhausted, just close your eyes and rest. I'll be here, watching over you."Gilbert remained silent, but he dutifully closed his eyes. She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and left the room, her heart heavy with concern for her shaken daughter.Davian and George were comforting the children when she entered the room. Davian, anxiety etched on his face, asked, "Is Mr. Kooper alright?"Kisa shook her head. "His injuries aren't life-threatening, but he hasn't uttered a word." George's lips tightened, as if sensing something deeper. Kisa cast her gaze downward, asking, "When his parents were taken from him, was the scene anything like this?"Outside, a torrential downpour raged on, the thunder's roar and lightning's flash heightening the palpable unease.
Kisa's heart plummeted, recognizing that Gilbert was trapped in a childhood nightmare. Desperate to help him, she called out, "Gilbert, please wake up! Gilbert!" He thrashed about, sweat drenching his forehead, his face twisted in agony and terror. Kisa clung to his hand, urgently whispering, "Gilbert, wake up. These are just dreams. You'll be okay once you wake up. Please, wake up!""Mom!" Gilbert suddenly screamed, bolting upright in bed. Heaving for breath, his muscular frame quivered. Kisa's heart shattered as she reached out to soothe him. "It's okay. Everything's okay now—""Don't touch me!" Gilbert snarled; his voice raw with emotion. His fiery eyes bore into her, seething with hatred. Kisa froze, her hand hovering in the air, fear gripping her as she did not dare touch him. Her heart bled, but she could not blame him. 'It's my fault; my very existence has stolen his parents. He has every reason to despise me.' She told herself in her mind.Suddenly, Gilbert appeared to snap
Gilbert's eyes remained open, locked on her throughout the night, only succumbing to sleep as dawn broke.As his breathing finally steadied, she cautiously opened her eyes. In silence, she studied the striking face forever etched in her heart, her slender fingers delicately tracing the contours of his features in the air. After an eternity, she gently disentangled herself from his embrace and gingerly rose from the bed. As she opened the door, she could not help but steal one last glance at the man lying in bed. His slumbering face still bore a tormented expression, a shadow of anguish furrowed between his brows.'Perhaps, once I'm gone, his life will gradually find light,' she mused, her eyes brimming with heart-wrenching longing and sorrow.'May happiness find you for the rest of your life,' she whispered in her mind. Then, with a faint, trembling smile in his direction, she turned and silently left the room.She went to the children's room to check on them. The morning was still
Blake clung desperately to her hand, as though fearing that the instant he let go, she would vanish into thin air.Kisa's heart shattered into a million pieces. Crouching down, she locked eyes with Blake and asked earnestly, "Don't you want your daddy anymore? What about your brother and sister?"Blake's small head shook with fervor. "I love Daddy, and I love my brother and sister, too. But Daddy has them to keep him company, while you'll be all alone. I want to stay with you, Mommy."Blake's emotional depth brought Kisa to the edge of tears. Embracing him tightly, she realized he had been the one to accompany her through pain and despair since the moment she was rescued from the inferno. All these years, she had been oblivious to his existence, missing every milestone in his life. Gently kissing Blake's cheek, she whispered, "Alright, I will take you with me. But I don't have much money, so I can't provide the same comfortable life that your brother and sister will have."Undeterr
The boy stood apart from the rest, a fearless soul despite being caked in mud and filth. His eyes burned with a cold defiance that seemed too intense for someone his age. On that fateful afternoon, his piercing gaze struck her numb heart like a razor-sharp arrow. Suddenly, she felt trapped in a bottomless, repulsive swamp, desperate to grasp at a ray of light. He was that longed-for beacon of hope.Jensen was rescued by Kohen, the younger brother of Hayes of the McCray family. Kohen had never brought an orphan into their home before, marking Jensen as an extraordinary exception. One day, Kohen grinned at Hayes. "This boy is fascinating. Train him for me, but be careful not to break him."Hayes, a mischievous glint in his eye, toyed with the knife in his hand, chuckling. "I'm not the heartless monster you imagine. I don't decide their fates. Here, survival depends entirely on their own skills and willpower." He tossed the knife to land at Jensen's feet, pointing at the other boys and
"Fantastic!" Hayes declared, his eyes lighting up with anticipation as he sat up straight. He addressed the young men and women gathered in the courtyard. "Give it everything you've got. If you lose, there's no point in continuing your training. Coincidentally, some friends of mine have been experimenting with intriguing games lately, and they're in need of a few test subjects."As Hayes spoke, a chill ran down the spines of the young men and women in the courtyard. Despite Jensen's seemingly fragile appearance, his icy demeanor was imposing. As he stepped into the courtyard, dagger in hand, not a single person dared to confront him.Hayes smirked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "So, fear has gripped you all now? I expected better after all the training I have put you through.""Mia." He suddenly shifted his gaze to her. "You've always been my star student. It's time for you to prove your worth against him."Mia could not help but clench her dagger tightly. She had never been a c
Mia and Jensen finally clashed in a heated battle. As Hayes had pointed out, the young man seemed inexperienced and even fragile. It did not take long for Mia to seize the advantage, but Jensen stubbornly refused to accept defeat. After being knocked down, he quickly sprang back up, his determination driving him to face Mia once more. Throughout their fierce exchange, Mia held back, skillfully redirecting a potentially deadly blow to Jensen's chest so that it merely grazed his arm instead.Kohen watched, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he glanced over at Hayes, who sat in a nearby chair. Hayes wore a chilling expression, his icy gaze fixated on the fighting duo.After more heart-pounding combat, Mia's blade pressed against Jensen's chest while his was poised at her throat. They found themselves in a tense deadlock.One of the other girls jeered at Mia. "Mia, you're always so ruthless toward us, never showing us any mercy. Why are you treating this pretty boy with such tenderness