Chapter 3

I didn't move. I stared straight at Timothy, and my eyes were full of contempt.

His face flushed instantly.

"Damn it! You've got some nerve acting like this!"

He charged at me and started throwing punches and kicks without holding back.

I curled up on the ground. It felt like a few of my ribs had cracked. Every breath sent sharp pain through my chest.

When he finally got tired, he crouched down and admired my battered state with a smug grin.

"Jason, how does it feel to get branded by the woman you love?"

He pointed at the charred burn mark on the back of my hand.

"Pretty intoxicating, isn't it?"

I looked at him coldly and said nothing.

Seemingly bored, he slapped my face twice and leaned in.

"Jason, aren't you curious?

"How did Ethan, that fool, actually die?"

My pupils constricted instantly.

He leaned close to my ear and chuckled. There was a barely constrained madness in his voice.

"I'll tell you the truth. I killed Ethan."

My mind went completely blank.

He continued speaking in that almost demonic voice.

"I didn't just kill him out of jealousy toward you. More importantly, he was the only heir to the Murdock family business. He was in my way of taking over the Murdock family.

"Before I killed him, I even cut off his tongue. That way, he couldn't call for help or curse me.

"I told him it was all because of you, Jason.

"That you only wanted his sister, so you sold him out like dead weight.

"He died thinking you were the one who betrayed him."

"Arghh!"

My eyes turned bloodshot as I lunged at him, but I was too weak.

He barely moved. He dodged easily and kicked me back to the ground.

His expensive leather shoe came down hard on my chest.

I coughed violently.

It felt like my ribs were about to shatter. Every breath tasted like blood.

He looked down at me like I was nothing more than a pest. He then pulled out his phone and pointed it at my face.

"Ellia was so deeply in love with you. How could I accept that?

"The only way was to make her hate you down to her bones. Only then would she willingly be with me.

"Look at you now. It worked out so well. I've got to record your ridiculous state and show it to her next time. That'll show her what a smart decision she made to give up on you completely."

He put his phone away and pressed his shoe against my chest with contempt.

"Jason, how do you think Ellia will feel when she sees this look on your face and thinks about her dead brother? Will she be happy or sad?"

Rage surged through my chest. I wanted nothing more than to tear him apart.

I stared at him, gathered every ounce of strength I had left, and crushed the fake tooth hidden in the back of my mouth.

Inside it, a micro emergency transmitter activated instantly.

A distress signal was fired out. It bypassed every layer of interference.

At that moment, a figure appeared at the kennel door.

It was Ellia.

She saw how I was pinned to the ground. There was a look of mixed emotions in her eyes.

"Timothy, don't kill him.

"I want him alive. Alive enough to suffer and to atone for what he's done."