"Get in the car," George said. "I'll take you to the art unit."

Kelly frowned in confusion. "Why are we going to the art troupe?"

George's brow furrowed tightly. "Well, you've pushed Amanda yesterday and today you've stained her performance dress. Kelly, don’t you think you owe her an apology?"

His accusation left Kelly stunned. "I didn’t push her, nor did I stain her dress. Don’t you dare frame me!"

She spun on her heel to leave, but George leaped out of the car and grabbed her arm roughly. That’s when he noticed the dark bruises marring her delicate wrist.

He froze, his gaze fixed on her injury. "What happened to your hand?"

Kelly's nose went red with the threat of tears, but she forced her voice to stay calm. "You already know, don’t you?"

An inexplicable sense of emotion shot through George's chest. He struggled to shake it off, his eyes narrowing into icy slits. "You're becoming even more skilled in doing underhanded tactics. Are you hurting yourself now just to frame Amanda?"

His words sliced through her like a blade. Kelly's voice trembled with pain and indignation. "George, after all these years, is that the kind of person you think I am?"

George pinched the bridge of his nose and his tone softened slightly. "Kelly, it’s just an apology. It’s not that hard."

The disappointment in her gaze burned more than her words ever could. She turned and walked away, a lone tear escaping down her cheek.

By the time Kelly reached the military compound, George was already there. He tossed a pain-streaked onto the ground in front of her.

Kelly stared at the garment with a puzzled expression.

"You ruined Amanda's performance dress," George said coldly. "She couldn’t go onstage because of you. If you clean it and we’ll call it even."

The white dress was streaked with vibrant colors. It was unmistakable that someone had done it on purpose. However, she wasn’t the culprit.

Kelly's voice turned cold and said, "I didn't do it. I'm not washing it!"

George’s jaw tightened. "I must’ve spoiled you too much if you can’t even tell right from wrong!"

His fists clenched and his voice became lower. It was full of quiet menace. "If you don’t clean that dress, I’ll toss your amulet into the river."

The amulet was the last memento her mother had left her.

Her voice cracked as she spoke. Her body was trembling all over. "George, that amulet... it’s my mother’s keepsake. You can't …."

How could he threaten me with this amulet?

Seeing her tears, George instinctively reached out, but Kelly recoiled and she even retreated a step. His hand hovered awkwardly before falling to his side.

George forced himself to harden his heart. "Clean the dress and I’ll give it back. Put yourself in her shoes. This dress is important to Amanda too."

Kelly looked at George with sorrowful eyes. "Do you have to humiliate me like this?" she asked.

His gut twisted at her words, but he suppressed the discomfort because he figured he was just disciplining Kelly. He said, "Don’t bother complaining to my father. He’s away at the military district for a few days."

Kelly inhaled sharply. "Fine. I’ll wash it."

As soon as George left, Amanda quietly entered the house and with a satisfied smirk on her face, she said, "Kelly, I’m so sorry. I accidentally used up all the hot water earlier. You’ll have to use cold water to wash my dress."

In the compound, hot water was a shared resource from the communal kitchen. Amanda’s deliberate act left Kelly no choice but to scrub the dress with icy water.

It was in December, in the middle of the winter and Kelly carried a wooden bucket to the riverbank so she could wash the dress at the river.

When her hands dipped into the icy river, she shivered violently, but the bone-chilling cold was still unable to match the frost that entered her heart.

“They all say George spoils you, but I don’t see it now.” A saccharine voice came from behind her. Kelly did not have to turn around to know that it was Amanda.

Without changing her expression or opening her mouth, Kelly kept scrubbing Amanda's underwear.

Amanda seemed to be in a good mood. She kept on talking while nibbling on a roast of sweet potatoes. “Look at you, your fingers are red and swollen from the cold. You must be miserable, aren’t you?”

Then she gloated, "Just now, George bought me this roasted sweet potato to cheer me up. It’s so warm and delicious.

When she saw Kelly refused to engage and kept her head down while washing her clothes, Amanda grew bored. Then she glinted with malice as she sought to provoke her. “Imagine that, the adopted daughter of a military general is no better than a stray dog.”

"Look at this …."

Kelly turned her head. At that time, Amanda's hand went to her neck and pulled out a jade pendant dangling on a red cord.

Kelly gasped. It was the same amulet that she had given to George. Her expression turned angry instantly and she lunged forward to snatch it back. “That’s mine! You have no right to wear it!”

Irritation flickered across Amanda’s face. “This worthless trinket? Even beggars wouldn’t take it!”

With a spiteful grin, she yanked the red cord off her neck and hurled the amulet into the river. The jade pendant disappeared beneath the water and it instantly created a ripple on the surface.

Amanda smirked triumphantly. “I’ve thrown away your precious treasure. What can you possibly do about it? If you dare run to George and tattle, I’ll jump into the river and tell him you pushed me in. Who do you think he’ll believe?”

Kelly's heart ached as if it was slashed by a blade. Of course, Amanda was George's beloved and it wasn’t surprising he had given her the amulet. However, that amulet was more than just a trinket for her, it was more important than her own life! So, without any hesitation, Kelly jumped into the freezing river.

Amanda was frozen in shock. Her mind was racing with fright. The river was deadly cold in the winter. A plunge like that could easily spell disaster. One could easily freeze to death because of the cold and by jumping, Kelly would probably lose her life.

Amanda's face which was initially filled with fear changed into a sinister one. She really hoped Kelly met her demise at the bottom of the river. Then she slipped away from the riverbank.

"No one will know I was there if I did not say anything. Kelly, consider yourself unlucky!”

Yet as she had just walked a few steps away, Amanda came face-to-face with George.

“Is Kelly over there? I think I just heard her voice,” he asked, his brows furrowed.

Panic surged through Amanda's heart, but she quickly stepped in front of him. “No, she’s not there!”

“Kelly probably was sulking somewhere to get your attention. Let’s check over there instead,” she suggested, as she steered him in the opposite direction, all the while she was silently praying he wouldn’t uncover the secret buried in the river.

Meanwhile, Kelly was swimming at the bottom of the river. She was frantically searching for the amulet.

The icy river was too cold. It sapped her strength and numbed her hands and feet. Her movement became slower and heavier.

Was it time to give up? No! She couldn't. That amulet was her mother’s only keepsake. It was a treasure beyond measure.

With her heart full of despair, Kelly groped around the bottom of the river. She thought she was going to die in this river when suddenly her finger touched the pendant.

The moment she grabbed the amulet, Kelly quickly swam upward. Yet, the moment her head broke through the water, her ankle was ensnared by underwater weeds and she could not move.

"Help!" she yelled

"Help!"

Kelly's body was bobbing up and down like a piece of wood.

"George … save me!" she screamed as hard as she could.

Suddenly, someone swam toward her. The strong arms pulled the plants that were binding her ankle, the next moment, it wrapped around her waist and quickly took her to swim upstream. Before she lost consciousness, Kelly caught a fleeting glimpse of a sharp, chiseled jawline.

Meanwhile, George could not find Kelly anywhere. He was furious and irritation was clearly written on his face. "All I asked was for her to wash a dress and she storms off like this?" he muttered angrily.

Amanda quickly patted his back to calm him, "Don't be mad. I believe Kelly didn’t mean it. Maybe ... she’ll come back once she’s calmed down."

Hopefully, she never does, Amanda thought silently. Yet, just as she finished speaking, her smile froze.

Not far away, a strikingly handsome man was running toward them. He was holding Kelly in his arms. "George! Quick! Your sister fell into the river!"

George spun around, his heart dropped as he rushed toward them. His steps faltered when he saw Kelly's pale, lifeless face. He quickly took her into his arms, only to find her body alarmingly cold to the touch.

"How did this happen?" His voice cracked with panic. "Kelly, hold on! Don’t you dare give up!"

George rushed inside and called for the housekeeper to help change Kelly out of her wet clothes.

He turned around to his friend, Ken Murdock, "What happened, Ken?"

Ken was George's confidant and also his closest friend. Obviously, he knew about his relationship with Kelly. He looked at George with a grim face.

"I was passing by the river when I heard Kelly calling for help," Ken explained. "When I got there, she was struggling in the water. I also saw a wooden bucket and a dress near the bank. It seems she went to wash clothes and accidentally fell in."

George’s brows furrowed deeply. "The kitchen has hot water. Why on earth would she wash clothes in the river on such a freezing day?"

Ken sighed, but his gaze was piercing toward George. "George, I hate to say this, but why is Kelly doing chores at all? Doesn’t your house have servants? To send her out on a day like this ..."

"You’ve been far too harsh on her lately," he added.

George's expression clouded over, a mixture of guilt and defiance battling within him. "You don’t understand. She’s too spoiled. Letting her continue like this will only make it worse."

Ken's gaze flickered toward Amanda and he turned his head toward George. After a moment, he spoke, "George, when she was unconscious, Kelly called out your name."

George froze, his jaw tightening. "I see. She must’ve jumped into the river on purpose to get my attention. Such disgusting tactics ... where does she even learn these things?"

Ken’s entire body stiffened, his expression darkened with fury. Without warning, he swung a punch at George’s face. The punch was so hard that it sent George fell backward and hit the doorframe with a bang.

"Ken! What the hell are you doing?“ George roared, his eyes were blazing with anger as he clenched his fists as he was ready to retaliate.

Yet before he could do anything, Ken grabbed his collar and shoved him down, then pinned him to the ground.

This made Amanda so scared and she screamed, "Stop it! What are you doing? Let him go!"

Ken pressed George harder and his tone was deadly serious, "Kelly is your sister, George, the one you cherish the most. How could you say something so cruel about her?"

George gritted his teeth as he shoved Ken's hands off. "She’s my sister. I’ll handle her however I see fit. It’s none of your business, Ken. Stay out of my business!"

After Ken left, George stood by Kelly’s bedside, staring at her still-pale face with mixed emotion.

Outside, Amanda collapsed onto the ground. Her body was trembling with fear. She was thankful George did not see what she had done to Kelly by the river.