Chapter 2

When I opened my eyes, I found myself thrown into a filthy dog kennel that reeked of urine.

An old German Shepherd inside stirred awake and growled at me warily.

Not long after, the sharp clicking of high heels approached.

Ellia stood outside the kennel and looked down at me.

She retrieved a stack of photos and tossed them one by one through the bars. They hit my face.

In the pictures, I was covered in blood while I stood at the edge of a cliff three years ago.

Back then, I had just fought off kidnappers. With my last bit of strength, I shoved Ethan Murdock toward safety while I teetered on the edge myself.

However, the angles of the photos were carefully chosen to make it look like I had kicked him off the cliff.

"Jason, take a good look at yourself.

"Every time I think about Ethan and the hopeless look in his eyes when he fell, I wish I could tear you apart piece by piece."

My fingers tightened around the photos, and my knuckles turned white.

"I didn't do that! I was saving him!"

"Saving him?"

She snorted.

"You call pushing him off a cliff saving him? Jason, do you think I'm an idiot?"

Timothy appeared behind her. He was holding a lit cigarette, and he handed it to her gently.

"Ellia, don't get upset over someone like him. It's not worth it."

He wrapped an arm around her waist and smiled.

"Why not leave a mark on him? Something to remind you of your hatred. Consider it a minor payback for Ethan."

Ellia held the cigarette between her slender fingers. The red ember flickered in her eyes.

I lifted my head and met her gaze.

Those eyes I had adored for ten years were now filled with hatred and something twisted from what used to be love.

She yanked open the kennel door, crouched down, and grabbed my left hand.

She then pressed the burning cigarette into the back of my hand.

The sound of flesh scorching was unmistakable. The smell of burned skin filled the air.

My muscles seized instantly. Veins bulged at my temples.

I clenched my jaw tight until the taste of blood filled my mouth.

Meanwhile, she laughed through tears and pressed harder as she murmured, "Jason, does it hurt? If it hurts you, maybe my brother won't hurt so much anymore.

"But why are you looking at me like that? When you look at me like that, my heart aches too."

After a long moment, she finally let go and flicked the cigarette butt to the ground like trash.

"This is what you owe Ethan."

Her voice turned cold again. It was completely different from her earlier breakdown.

"This is only the beginning."

With that, she turned and walked away without another glance at me.

Timothy stayed behind to admire the charred mark on my hand. He laughed with satisfaction.

After a while, he kicked over a nearby bowl of dog food.

The kibble, which mixed with dirt on the ground, scattered across my face.

"Be a good boy," he said before tapping my face with his shoe like he was training a dog.

"Lick all of it clean."