"Hey, sis..."


    "Oh? Are you going to teach me how to raise a child now?" Sophia shot him a cold look.


    "I''m his uncle!" Nathaniel protested, forcing himself to stand his ground. "I''ve been raising him for six years!"


    "Exactly why he''s turned out so useless!" Sophia''s patience snapped. "Day after day, he''s so fragile and weak-what use is that to anyone? If there''s a problem, you face it head on. What''s with all the running and hiding, the constant fear? I, Sophia Pembroke, will not have such a spineless son!"


    She sighed, then went on bluntly, "If you can''t handle the situation at school, then I don''t need you. Don''t bothering to see me or Julian anymore. You''ve always been like this-hesitant, forever tiptoeing around things. Every chance thates your way just slips through your fingers."


    Suddenly, she turned and pointed down the opposite end of the alley, ripping open the secret Nathaniel had been so desperate to hide. "Don''t think I can''t see right through you and your feelings for that woman. The man by her side? He''s miles ahead of you. He fights for what he wants and takes action. And you?"


    "You''re timid and indecisive, and you''ve passed that weakness on to the boy. You''re lucky I haven''t given you a piece of my mind already. If you''re too scared to do anything, then just get out of my way. Stop making things worse!"


    Nathaniel''s face darkened, anger and frustration finally boiling over after being held back for so long. "And who''s kept this family afloat in the end? You, with your reckless disregard for everyone, throwing the family to the wolves just to do as you please—ending up in jail, was that the right thing to do?"


    A sharp p rang out in the empty alley. Red lines, courtesy of her long nails, appeared on Nathaniel''s cheek.


    "Who taught you to speak to me that way?" Sophia''s voice was cold as ice.


    He gave a dry, bitterugh, hair tousled by the night breeze. "You know how I feel about her, and yet you still hurt her."


    Sophia''s reply was matter-of-fact. "She''s not a Pembroke. That''s all there is to it."


    "And what about me?"


    -Do my feelings mean nothing?


    "You''re my brother. That''s the only reason I''m letting you get away with talking


    back to me tonight. Nathaniel, don''t push your luck."


    She turned and strode toward the mouth of the alley, her figure slim yet unyielding. Nathaniel watched her go, a hollow smile on his face.


    This was his sister.


    The Pembroke family had never intended for her to inherit anything. But from an early age, she had overwhelmed him with her sheer force of will and undeniablepetence. Smarter than he was, she''d risen quickly through thepany, turning the family''s opinion around and earning her ce as the true sessor.


    But Nathaniel knew her too well. She only yed the game to win, not because she cared about thepany or their family name. At her core, she was fiercelypetitive, selfish, stubborn-utterly domineering.


    When she fell in love, she didn''t care


    about social status or family


    approval; she bent everyone to her will. When betrayed, she was ruthless,nding herself a six-year prison sentence after a public


    six-yea


    meltdown in court. The family''s


    legacy had fallen right into


    Nathaniel''sp.


    Fel


    Even after getting out, she hadn''t changed. If anything, she had grown more domineering. Once Sophia her sights on something-or someone-no one could talk her out of it. Maybe someone had stopped her this time, but what about tomorrow? Sophia was not the type to let go easily.


    Nathaniel felt a cold, sinking weight in his chest.


    ...


    After leaving the hospital, M''s neck bore a vivid bruise that curled up beneath


    her jaw. Her throat still ached, but thankfully her vocal cords were intact.


    "Forrest, you should go home," she managed, her voice hoarse but steady, waving him off to show she''d be alright.


    Forrest nced at Leonard, who stood quietly nearby. He could tell M needed rest more than anything. He didn''t argue, just asked her to call if anything changed, then gave her a quick wave before heading off.


    Climbing into the car, M rattled off an address. She had no intention of returning to the old house tonight-not with her grandfather or anyone else.


    The bruise on her neck hadn''t faded. If Adrian saw it, he''d make a scene. And she couldn''t risk worrying Felicity either.


    What a mess.


    She''d suffered for nothing. It wasn''t quite the same as the old "farmer and the snake" story, but she never expected Sophia to be so utterly unhinged... Just out of prison, and already itching for more? Did the woman have a death wish?


    Getting tangled up with people like that was just in bad luck.


    ет


    Julian was so soft-hearted, but his mother was hard as nails-who knew what he''d have to endure growing up in that household? Either way, M had learned her lesson: never meddle in someone else''s


    mess again. Who would have thought a simple act of kindness could nearly cost her her life?


    Honestly, what kind of situation was this?


    The thought left her feeling even more frustrated.


    But right now, there was one thing she needed to know. M''s gaze drifted to the front seat, where Leonard sat quietly at the wheel. After a moment''s hesitation, she fought through the pain in her throat and asked the question that had been growing in her mind.


    "Leonard, that phone call earlier-who was it from?" She paused, then added, "Whoever it was, they really saved me tonight. I owe them my thanks."