The door creaked open.

Cameron stepped into the storage room wearing a blue hospital gown.

He toyed with a pair of surgical scissors. There was a victorious grin stretched across his face.

His fragile, helpless act was gone. In its place was malice and spite.

He waved off the guards at the door, then shut it behind him. "You're really hard to kill, Skyler."

He traced the sharp tip lightly across my scarred face. The touch made my skin crawl.

"Want to know something? That safety rope didn't snap by accident," he whispered, learning closer. "I cut halfway through it with a blade ahead of time. And that avalanche? I had people set off micro-charges at just the right spot."

I jerked my head up and glared at him.

Even though I'd long suspected those were his doings, hearing him admit them out loud was still unreal.

He caused an avalanche just for attention. He was willing to bury the whole team for that.

Cameron read my thoughts and started chuckling. "I've got nothing to fear. I've got Whitney protecting me. I just wanted to see who she'd choose when it came down to life and death. The answer's obvious, isn't it?"

He tapped my cheek with the scissors. His eyes were full of mockery.

"You, the so-called true heir to the Linder family, lost. Biological ties don't matter in this family. What matters is who plays the role better."

I wanted to tear his mouth apart, but my body was too weak. I couldn't even lift a hand.

My helplessness only fed his pride. "It's not my fault. You shouldn't have come back. Those foster parents of yours were probably trash to society, right? I heard they were scraping by overseas by scavenging trash in refugee camps."

The moment he mentioned my foster parents, my gaze shifted.

It turned deadly.

I forced a cold smile.

"You'll regret this."

Cameron flinched at my glare.

That kind of killing intent was something he had never seen in his sheltered little world.

His face twisted with embarrassment and rage. He slapped me hard.

The blow was so heavy that my ears rang.

"You trash!" he hissed. "How dare you glare at me?"

He rose and ground his polished shoe into my wounded thigh.

"Ah!"

I couldn't hold back my groan. The wound split open, and blood pooled on the ground.

Cameron wiped his shoe on my clothes with disgust. "Whitney's going to finish you off soon anyway. You being alive makes me nervous. Once you're dead, everything the Linders have stays mine."

He lifted the scissors and angled them toward my eye.

Just then, hurried footsteps echoed outside.

Cameron moved with terrifying speed.

In an instant, he tucked the scissors away, dropped to the floor, and clawed his hair into a mess.

His posture was akin to that of a trembling, frightened deer.

The door burst open.

Whitney strode in.

The moment she took in the scene, her face darkened immediately. "What's going on here?"

Cameron looked like he had spotted salvation. He scrambled to his feet and threw himself into Whitney's arms.

Tears spilled on command. They slid down his cheeks.

"Whitney! Skyler's lost it!" he screamed, holding his perfectly uninjured hand before pointing at me. "I came to check on him and get him some medicine, but he woke up and tried to kill me with a pair of scissors. He said he was going to ruin my face and that I stole his place!"

His voice broke into gasps. "Whitney, I'm scared… My chest hurts…"

After complaining to Whitney, Cameron pretended to faint in her arms.

His performance was so flawless that he probably deserved an award for it.

Whitney didn't spare a glance for me in the corner. Her eyes were fixed only on that harmless-looking fraud of a brother.

"Cameron! Cameron, what's wrong?" she shouted in panic. Then, she turned her gaze on me.

Hatred burned in her gaze. "Skyler, you crazy wretch! If Cameron dies, you'll pay with your life!"

She strode over and kicked my wounded thigh. The pain was blinding. Cold sweat soaked my back instantly.

A doctor stormed into the storage room. The second he saw the situation, he understood exactly what was expected of him.

He put on a show and pretended to check Cameron. "Ms. Linder, this is bad! Mr. Linder is suffering from myocardial ischemia due to extreme shock! If we don't transfuse blood immediately, he could go into heart failure! But the camp is remote, we don't have a blood bank…"

What a pathetic lie.

Since when did being scared mean one needed a transfusion?

This was outright robbery.

Whitney's eyes instantly locked onto me. She knew I was O-negative—a universal donor.

"Take his blood!" she ordered without hesitation. "Do whatever it takes to save Cameron. Drain him dry if you have to!"

I lifted my head weakly and stared at the sister I shared blood with. "I… just survived an avalanche… I've already lost too much blood… If you draw now… You'll kill me…"

My voice was hoarse. I was barely clinging to reason.

Whitney laughed. She crouched down and grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back. "Do you think you get to talk about life? You're tough. You won't die from a little blood loss. If Cameron doesn't wake up, I'll make your whole family pay."

She pinned my struggling arm down, then gave the doctor the signal.

The doctor didn't hesitate. He pulled out a thick needle and shoved it straight into my already shrunken vein.

He didn't use any disinfectant and was rough.

Bright red blood began to rush through the tube and into the collection bag.

As the liquid drained from me, my vision blurred.

The cold sank deeper into my bones. My heartbeat slowed to a crawl.

Still in Whitney's arms, Cameron cracked one eye open. He let out a cruel smile at me. It was like he was watching an animal being bled out on a hook.

I smiled back.

It was a smile of release.

I finally understood everything as I watched that bag fill with what should have been my lifeblood. Blood ties were nothing but a shackle around my throat.

With the last of my strength, I cried into the void. "Mom! Dad!"

The next instant, a deafening explosion thundered.

The entire wall of the storage room blew apart in a controlled blast.

Stone and debris exploded inward.

The doctor holding the blood bag was thrown off his feet by the shockwave.

The bag flew from his hands, hit the ground, and burst open, splattering across Whitney's face.

The smoke cleared.

Three figures in elite black combat gear stood against the light.

They were like gods of war descending onto earth.

Freya held the latest C4 detonator in one hand. Her red lips were curved into an elegant yet unhinged smile.

Titus had a sniper rifle raised. The red laser dot sat perfectly centered on Whitney's forehead.

Lauren spun a kukri in her hand.

"Skyler."

Lauren's voice was bright with a chilling thrill. "Looks like that sister of yours isn't just stubborn, but she's also a vampire. Want me to drain her dry for you?"