Scarface looked curious, but Blade raised his iron rod again—and slammed it across my mouth.

The pain exploded so fast I couldn’t even scream.

I could only clutch my face, blood pooling under my tongue.

“He’s the pretty boy I told you about,” Blade sneered. “Probably overheard you guys when you walked in.”

Scarface shook his head slowly.

“Something’s not right. I think… he said his name is Luca. That’s the young master’s name. No way an outsider would know that.”

He stepped closer and grabbed my face, squinting at me.

“This face doesn’t look anything like the young master’s though…”

My heart sank.

Of course he didn’t recognize me. He’d never seen my face after the surgeries.

Then something clicked for him.

“Wait a minute… the young master was sent abroad for reconstructive surgery. Your face—did you have work done?”

I nodded desperately, my eyes brimming with hope.

‘Yes. Yes, I’m the one! I’m your young master!’

But Blade scoffed from the side.

“What, a pretty boy getting plastic surgery is news? That’s half their job description.”

Scarface raised a hand to shut him up.

“Faces can lie. IDs don’t. Search him.”

Two of the goons stepped forward, grabbing me as I struggled.

Blade smacked me across the face. “Quit moving. Tie him up.”

They pinned me down, tying me up tight, and started patting me down while I seethed with humiliation.

Scarface glanced over warily.

“You beat the crap out of him. What if he is the young master?”

Blade just chuckled and offered him a cigarette.

“So what? I’m about to marry Dixie. Even if I hit her little brother a few times by mistake, it just proves how much I care about her. She’ll forgive me.”

Scarface puffed and nodded. “I guess that makes sense.”

They soon found my ID. Blade snatched it and burst out laughing.

“See? Told you he was faking.”

Scarface leaned in, reading aloud, “Eli Hale.” Then he flipped open my diploma. “Damn.”

“Definitely fake,” he confirmed. “The young master’s name is Luca, and he didn’t go to Argentina—he went to London.”

Just like that, I felt the ground vanish under me.

After the kidnapping years ago, my sister had removed me from the family registry. Changed my name. I took our mother’s surname.

She hadn’t told anyone. Not even Scarface.

All to keep me safe.

‘She hid everything so well. Now, it’s going to… it’s going to get me killed!’

I could feel my heart race faster as Scarface’s expression turned cold.

“This bastard dared pretend to be the young master! Beat the hell out of him!”

To his words, the other men threw me to the floor and started kicking and punching me.

My phone fell from my pocket and landed screen-up.

As the display lit up, Scarface caught a glimpse—and froze.

“Wait!”

He snatched it off the ground, his face pale.

The wallpaper was a photo of me and my sister, arms around each other and smiling.

His hands trembled as he held it up.

“This phone… Is it yours?”

I nodded frantically.

On the side, Blade sneered.

“Come on, Scarface. It’s just a photo. He probably Photoshopped it!”

I jerked my head, signaling Scarface to open the phone and see for himself.

He got the hint, held it up to my face to unlock it, and started scrolling.

Then he saw it.

My messages with my sister.

“He calls her ‘Big Sis’ in his contacts. It’s real,” Scarface gasped.

But Blade snatched the phone from him.

“Don’t fall for it! That’s exactly what gold-digging little leeches like him do—call rich women ‘Big sis’ so they can cozy up to them!”

He scrolled up once, twice—then stopped cold, his face twisting with rage.

“Oh, really? She gave you a whole villa? She calls you baby? Says she never wants to be apart from you again?”

I wanted to explain, but the pain in my mouth flared up so bad I couldn’t even speak.

My sister’s the only family I’ve got. She never wanted me to stay abroad forever.

Growing up, no one ever laid a finger on me. And now, look at me—beaten to a pulp by her fiancé, can’t even get a word out.

Even her people didn’t recognize me. ‘Dixie… It hurts so bad!’

The thought made me cry silently. Scarface frowned when he saw it.

“This kid’s got the same vibe as the young master—can’t handle a bit of pain, cries real easy,” he said. “Should we double-check? The Queen really spoils her little brother. If he is the one, we’re screwed.”

Blade nodded. “Alright, I’ll make a call and ask. If he really is Dixie’s brother, I’ll take the fall. No one else gets dragged in. But if he’s not…”

His face twisted into something monstrous.

“If not… then I’ll make this pretty boy wish he was never born!”

He told one of the big guys to shut me up and pulled out his phone to call my sister.

“Hey, boo. Didn’t you say your brother’s coming back for our engagement party? What day exactly is he arriving? I wanna prep a little welcome gift for him. That’s why I’m asking.”

Dixie’s cheerful voice came through the phone, “Aww, that’s so sweet of you! He said he’ll be home tomorrow night.”

My heart sank.

‘Shit…’

I’d changed my flight to surprise her—got here today instead.

Blade’s eyes turned cold and calculating as he looked at me.

‘If he hangs up now, I’m done for!’

I opened my mouth and bit down hard. The guy covering it yelped in pain and let go.

“Dixie! Help me!”

I screamed with everything I had.

Blade’s face twisted, and he quickly kicked me to the floor, slamming his foot over my mouth.

On the other end, my sister hesitated. “Did… someone just scream for help?”

Blade forced a laugh. “Ah, that? Just the TV. Anyway, since your brother’s arriving soon, I better prep that gift. Talk to you later.”

He… hung up.

And just like that, my last sliver of hope disappeared.

Pain exploded in my face as he pressed down harder with his foot.

“You little bastard. Thought you could fool me, huh? Almost got me!”

I started crying from the pain, but he wasn’t satisfied.

He looked down at my tear-streaked face, and I saw something dark flash in his eyes—jealousy.

“This is the face you used to hook Dixie, isn’t it? She’s already agreed to marry me, and she still went and bought you a freaking villa!”

One of the guys behind him tried to calm him down.

“Honestly, it’s not that weird. Big shots like the Queen always have side lovers. If she likes him, maybe we just let it slide? I mean, you’re the one marrying her. Why not turn a blind eye?”

Even Scarface chimed in, “Yeah, you’re the main guy. He’s nothing next to you, man.”

Blade wavered, like he was actually thinking it over.

Meanwhile, I was about to explode from how unfair this all was.

‘I’m her real brother. And they’re treating me like some random toyboy punching bag?! My sister has the worst taste in men. When I see her, I will make her call this damn engagement off!’

Blade must’ve caught the anger in my eyes. He’d been softening, but that look lit him up with rage again.

“You’re still glaring at me, pretty boy? I won't kill you today, I’ll at least ruin you.”

He yanked his foot away, pulled out a knife, and slashed it toward my face.

“No! Don’t—Ahhh!”

I screamed in agony, but he just carved faster.

“If you look like a freaking monster, then I’ll be the only one Dixie will always be looking for!”

The pain hit me so hard I nearly blacked out.

This face—my sister spent a fortune, hired the best doctors, and it took three whole years to fix it up.

‘And now he just ruined it like that? She’s never gonna let him get away with this!’

“You’re… dead… meat!”

I spat the words out through clenched teeth. That was it—Blade snapped.

“Son of a bitch! You're cursing me, you little shit?” He slashed at my lips with the knife. “Curse me again! Go on, curse me again!”

All I felt was a numb, searing pain. I couldn’t even form a single word anymore.

He wasn’t done yet, his hand twitching like he wanted to do more damage.

But then we all heard it—heels clicking outside the room.

“Queen? What are you doing here?”

‘It’s her! My sister! She’s here!’

I tried to get up, but pain shot through my leg—the bastard had smashed the back of my knee with an iron rod. I collapsed instantly.

Scarface’s face went pale. He urged Blade, “If she sees this, she’ll lose it. Hide him! Now!”

Blade and the two thugs dragged me into the kitchen. The sliding door shut just as my sister stepped inside.

“Scarface, didn’t I tell you to start decorating the villa already? Where is everything?”

“I just got here,” Scarface lied. “The stuff’s still in the car. I’ll get the guys to start bringing it in now.”

He led the other two out, leaving my sister alone, her heels echoing through the villa as she looked around.

“Mmm… The decor’s actually nice. He’s gonna love it.”

Then she stopped at the kitchen.

“This the kitchen?” she asked the designer, already reaching to open the door.

I saw her silhouette through the frosted glass and couldn’t hold back anymore—my tears just burst out.

‘Dixie, please! Come in! Please save me!’

The door slid open, slow and quiet.

She stepped in, and the moment her eyes landed on us—on me lying there all bloodied and on Blade crouching over me—she froze in shock.

“Boo? What are you doing here?” she asked. She pointed at me, frowning. “Who is that? Why’s his face covered in blood?”

‘Dixie’ It’s me! It’s really me! Please recognize me!’

I was tied up and couldn’t even move properly, but I tried—I squirmed and crawled toward her with all the strength I had left.

But Blade kicked me in the face. “Fuck off. Stay down.”

My head spun from the blow, but I still tried to mumble, “Big sis… Dixie…”

With that, Blade exploded; he stomped on my mouth again.

“You still got the balls to call her ‘sister’ in front of me, you pretty little shit?”

But I knew… My sister trembled at the sound of my voice.

She knelt down, staring at my face—trying to place it.

But before she could connect the dots, Blade jumped in.

“Boo, I get it, alright? You don’t have to hide it. He’s your plaything from abroad, right?

“This villa? You bought it for him. I didn’t say anything because you’ve worked so hard. You wanna keep someone on the side, that’s your right.”

He blinked rapidly like he was about to cry, his voice all broken and soft.

“I just… I just wanted to see what it is about him that you love so much.

“If I knew, maybe I could change. Maybe I could become more like him and make you love me more, too…”