Chapter 29 Open Up!
Liam, finally able to catch his breath, let go and pped Tracy hard across the face.
Smack!
The sharp sound froze Tracy mid-struggle. Her bloodshot eyes shifted from Simon to Liam.
She looked like a wild beast just dragged out of the arena-bloodied, feral, and ready to kill.
Liam’s rage suddenly lodged in his throat. He stared at her, stunned, unable to move.
He’d never seen eyes like that. Like a trapped animal ready to go down fighting.
How could Tracy… look like this?
“Liam!”
Erin’s panicked voice snapped him out of it.
She bent down beside Simon, who clutched his face and moaned in pain. Her face was full of worry. “Liam,e quick! I think Simon’s seriously hurt. Should we call an ambnce?”
Liam rushed over. Simon’s face was swollen, bruised, and covered in scratch marks.
Seeing him, Simon whimpered, “Mr. Liam … ah—”
He let out a cry so sharp that tears welled up in his eyes.
“Don’t move. I’ll call for help,” Liam said, pulling out his phone.
On the other side, the men holding Tracy saw her finally stop resisting and began to loosen their grip.
Without their support, she copsed to the ground, limp and drained.
Everyone hovered around Simon now, giving Tracy a wide berth, like they feared she might snap again— and this timee for them.
But Tracy sat there quietly, head lowered, unmoving. No one could see her face.
Simon’s fists were nothingpared to what she’d taken in the institute-beatings handed out for scraps of food and water. Injuries like this? Routine.
She’d just lost control for a moment. Triggered by old memories and by old monsters.
After a long silence, Tracy finally managed to calm herself.
The ambnce arrived. Simon howled louder the second the medics showed up.
Everyone immediately rushed to him.
There were medical checks, bandaging, and a stretcher.
of the “carefully staged” banquet.
Only Liam seemed to suddenly remember something. He turned back toward her.
She was still sitting there, her thin back looking like it could be blown away by the wind.
Not a trace remained of the proud, radiant girl she once was.
He had the urge to walk over-but just then, someone leaned heavily against him.
Erin looked pale. “Liam, I’m not feeling well.”
His thoughts vanished instantly. “Did everything earlier scare you? I’ll take you to the hospital right now!”
Tracy never expected anyone to remember her. She slowly pushed herself up, her body aching all over.
Her injuries weren’t any less severe than Simon’s.
But she’d instinctively protected her head, so aside from the swollen, bright red p mark on her face, she. didn’t look too bad.
She was used to injuries like this.
But being used to it … didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.
Everyone wants someone to care when they’re hurt-even just a simple “Are you okay?”
Under the curious stares, Tracy pulled up her hood and wrapped her cardigan tightly around herself. Without saying a word, she walked out of the Sometime Hotel.
That dead, hollow look-like she was sealed off from the world-was nothing like the furious, crazed girl from earlier. It was like looking at two different people.
She still had some of the money she’d borrowed from the butler, so she stopped by a pharmacy for some medicine. Then, dragging her sore body, she walked step by step back to the Jackman Vi.
The old Tracy had known nothing about this kind of thing. But after two years at the Angelic Etiquette Academy, she’d learned how to treat all kinds of injuries.
In the small, bare servant’s room, Tracy took off her top, revealing a body covered in terrifying bruises and
scars.
Every ugly, twisted mark carried the weight of those painful years.
But Tracy stared straight ahead, like she saw nothing. Expressionless, she applied the medicine.
Even when she pressed too hard and her body instinctively tensed in pain, her face remained calm-like she couldn’t feel a thing.
She hadn’t even finished when a loud knock pounded at the door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Open up! Tracy, open the damn door! I know you’re in there. Get out here right now!”
Panicked, she threw on her clothes.
Luckily, she always locked the door out of habit. The person outside tried a few times, then started banging harder.
Tracy fixed herself up, got to her feet, and opened the door. Liam and Andrew stood there with cold, serious expressions.
Liam looked pissed. “What the hell were you doing? We’ve been yelling for ages!”
The words “nothing much” reached her lips-but she swallowed them back. Instead, she stepped aside slightly. “Mr. Liam, if you’re that curious, why note in and take a look yourself?”