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.