Everest stood at my door holding a glass of milk. When he noticed that I was awake, he wore an innocent, harmless smile.

"You're up, Leo. I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd warm some milk for you. It might help you feel better."

When I ignored him and kept packing, he walked in.

After setting the glass on the table, he offered a feigned concern. "Don't be mad at Mom, Dad, or Bianca. They're just worried about me.

"I know you saved me, and I'm really grateful."

His words made my skin crawl as I coldly snapped, "Save the gratitude. Just stay away from me."

The smile finally slipped from his face. He leaned close to my ear and whispered, "Who do you think you are, Leo? You're just a country bumpkin who grew up in some rural town, so what makes you think you're worthy of competing with me?"

When he noticed my pupils constrict, his smile widened. "You're a cripple now, so let's see how you're going to fight me now."

Suddenly, his hand tilted, and the entire glass of scalding hot milk poured over my arm.

A sharp, burning pain exploded through my nerves as I grunted in pain, and my crutch slipped from my grip. I lost balance and crashed heavily to the floor.

A searing agony ripped through my leg, and cold sweat from pain soaked my back. But what broke me more was the music box that tumbled from my arms and clattered onto the floor with a crisp crack.

I looked up just in time to see Everest's foot coming down hard on the wooden box. It shattered under his force, and the tiny dancing boy snapped clean in half.

Then, he suddenly screamed before picking up a shard and drawing it lightly across his forearm. After tossing it aside, he dropped to the floor and burst into loud, dramatic screams.

"My hand hurts so much!" he wailed. "Why are you doing this to me, Leo? I know that I've messed up, but please don't hurt me…"

His theatrical wails brought the house down. Bianca was the first to burst into the room and nervously help him up, carefully inspecting the cut on his arm.

"Everest! Are you okay? Where are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," he choked and shook his head. "Leo didn't mean it. He was just upset…"

"Leo!"

My biological mom, Malinda Hopkins' roar, shook the room. "You ungrateful brat! What have you done to Everest now?'

Benedict walked over to me. His eyes were full of disappointment and disgust as he took in the mess on the floor.

"You've truly let us down, Leo. Everest kindly brought you milk, and is this how you return the favor?"

As I lay on the floor, the pain in my leg reminded me of what had just happened. No one asked if I was hurt from the fall because all they could see was the shallow scratch on Everest's arm.

At that moment, nothing mattered anymore.

Enraged by my silence, Malinda slapped me hard across the face. "I'm talking to you, so answer me!

"How on earth did the Ashcrofts raise such a vicious son? Apologize to Everest, right now!"

I covered my burning cheek and defiantly met her eyes. "I didn't do a thing, so I have nothing to apologize for."

"How dare you talk back!" She raised her hand to strike again, but Bianca stopped her and turned her cold eyes to me.

"This is my final warning, Leo. If you ever pull something like this again, you can get out of the Ashcroft family!"

Without waiting for my reply, she helped Everest up and headed straight for the hospital.

I waited at home for hours and clung to that pathetic shred of hope.

I watched as my phone screen lit up again and again, only to dim each time it wasn't the call I longed for. None of the Ashcrofts returned to check on me.

"It's for the best," I repeatedly told myself, though my heart was so sore and ached so much it felt like it was soaking in bitter water.

When the sky finally paled with the first hint of dawn, I finally woke up from the daze. Slowly and numbly, I got up to pack and bought a ticket.

Suddenly, the door to my room was violently thrown open. Bianca stood in the doorway with dark circles under her eyes and her expression sharp with irritation.

When she saw the suitcase by my side, her gaze turned icy. "What trick are you playing now, Leo? Are you trying to win sympathy by running away from home?"

I didn't answer and simply placed the last piece of clothing into my suitcase and zipped it shut.

When I ignored her, she strode over and snatched the suitcase from my hands. With a harsh kick, she sent it crashing to the floor and spilled my belongings everywhere.

The taped music box rolled out with a fragile clink.

After grabbing my chin and forcing me to look at her, she demanded, "Do you really think saving Everest once gives you the right to act however you want in this family?

"Everest had nightmares all night because of you, so tell me—how am I supposed to punish you?"

I jerked my head up and stared at her in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

She gave a light laugh and called in the bodyguards. "I warned you, but you didn't listen, so don't blame me for being harsh."

At her signal, one of the bodyguards kicked my right leg hard. I collapsed to my knees and could feel pain drilling through my nerves.

As I violently struggled, Bianca leaned close to my ear and whispered in a low, icy voice, "I'll make them stop if you promise never to bother Everest again."

My eyes were red as I hissed through my teeth, "Do you believe whatever he says?"

"Over you? Always," she replied and stood up to signal to the guards again. "You need to learn that mistakes come with a price."

As per her instructions, the guards grabbed my ankle and wrenched it outward.

"Ah!"

A tearing, bone-deep agony ripped through my fracture site as if countless needles were twisting in my bone marrow. The pain was so intense that my vision blacked out, and my body spasmed uncontrollably.

"P-Please…" I begged in a broken voice as agony seized my chest. "It hurts, Bianca…"

For a split second, a flicker of hesitation crossed her face before she stiffly said, "I'll let it slide this time. Make sure it doesn't happen again, or else—"

Her words were cut off by her phone ringing in her pocket. The screen lit up with the word "Everest".

Her fleeting hesitation instantly vanished as she flung me off, stood up, and answered the phone in an urgent voice, "Everest? Are you feeling sick again? I'm coming right now!"

As she turned to leave, I called out, "Bianca."

She paused and impatiently looked back.

"If one day you find out the truth and realize you were wrong, will you ever regret this?"

Her gaze hardened, and she sharply replied, "My only regret is not stopping Mom and Dad from bringing you back from the countryside in the first place!"

With that, the door slammed shut and sealed off the last frail trace of hope in my heart.

I lay on the floor and began laughing softly. Soon, laughter turned into sobs, and once again, tears poured down my face.

When I finally caught my breath, I forced myself up and slowly packed everything back into the suitcase.

It was time to leave…

…

Bianca woke up with a sudden jolt of panic.

She had dreamed of me lying in a pool of blood, whispering over and over, "It hurts so much, Bianca…"

After abruptly sitting up, she irritably ran a hand through her hair and glanced at the clock. It was 4:00 am.

Almost against her will, she got out of bed and walked to my door. When she opened it, the room was empty.

Frowning, she was about to leave when she caught sight of a sheet of paper on the desk. A sudden sense of unease rose in her chest.

With trembling hands, she picked it up and realized that it was a letter of severance of kinship.