The city blurred into streaks of neon and raindrops, the cold biting into my skin like tiny knives. I walked without purpose, my legs aching, my vision hazy from exhaustion and heartbreak. My hands still trembled from where they had been forced against the floor. Bark like a dog. Camden's voice echoed in my skull, a cruel reminder that the boy who once protected me had been the one to shatter me completely.

Camden didn't come home last night.

There was no explanation, not even a quick message, as if the person who had stayed by my bedside through the night when I was sick wasn't him at all.

When I woke up the next morning, my head ached slightly, and my forehead felt a bit warm.

Suddenly, the phone rang—it was Camden.

A flicker of hope rose within me. Yesterday must have been a misunderstanding; he couldn't possibly treat me that way.

"Isla," Camden's voice was soft, "bring the bracelet I gave you and meet me on the rooftop."

The bracelet.

It was a family heirloom passed down through generations to the daughters-in-law of his family. He must be apologizing for what happened yesterday.

I didn't even change my clothes. In my slippers, I rushed to the rooftop, completely forgetting my fear of heights.

Camden was there, smoking.

Hearing my footsteps, he turned and smiled, motioning for me to come closer. As I reached him, he gently touched my face and smiled softly, "Isla, don't blame me."

In the next moment, he gripped the back of my neck and pressed me against the railing at a dizzying height, making a wave of nausea rise within me.

Yet, he laughed.

He untied his tie and wrapped it around my hands, securing me to the railing. "Isla, I'll come back for you in ten minutes."

The rooftop door closed, and my pupils dilated.

"Isla, I'm sorry, if there's a next life, I'll make it up to you," echoed my father's words.

Memories of him bleeding before me replayed continuously in my mind. I struggled desperately, but the tie only tightened.

Something fell, landing bloodied on the ground below.

I retched but couldn't make a sound, only silent tears rolled down my cheeks.

With a loud crash, the rooftop door flew open.

Camden hurriedly untied the tie and pulled me into his arms, apologizing repeatedly.

Adriana snatched the bracelet from my wrist and slipped it on hers. "Only I can be the Perry family daughter-in-law. A fool like you thinks she can be the lady of the Perry family?"

Camden remained silent.

The earlier chaos gradually subsided. I pushed Camden away, my legs weak as I slowly turned and walked off, my body still shaking violently.

The moment I got home, a high fever set in, and I drifted into unconsciousness.

In my dreams, I saw scenes of my parents' deaths, Adriana's bullying, and Camden standing up for me.

But then, the scene shifted.

Now, Camden pressed my head against the railing, forcing me to bark like a dog.

Half-conscious, I fumbled for my phone and made an international call, my voice barely a whisper.

One call. One ticket. One escape.

"I need to leave the country," I whispered, barely hearing my own voice over the storm outside.

Suddenly—the door slammed open.

The stench of whiskey filled the air before I saw him.

Camden.

His eyes were red-rimmed, his grip brutal as he yanked the covers away. The room spun, the weight of his body pressing into me.

"What do you think you're doing, Isla?" His voice was low, dangerous. "Running away?"

My breath hitched. I was too late.

The next morning at dawn, Adriana's voice pulled me from my thoughts. She was lounging confidently in my chair, as if she owned the place.

When she noticed me, she smirked. "Hey, you little genius, I heard you make great pancakes. How about whipping up some for me?"

I shook my head and tried to leave.

Camden caught my wrist, barking, "Isla, you've been living under the Perry family's roof for two decades. It's one breakfast. Why act like a diva?"

I glanced at Camden, then turned and headed to the kitchen.

In just ten minutes, I had two pancakes ready and placed them carefully in front of Adriana, who was pretending to pour herself a cup of coffee.

Hot water splashed on the back of my hand, and the sting made me wince.

Camden, alarmed, quickly pulled me to the sink to run it under cold water and reached for ointment. He hesitated, though.

Adriana shrieked, "Camden, I'm hurt."

He rushed to her side, gently soothing her finger, though his eyes stayed on me.

"Camden, kiss it and make it better," Adriana cooed, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him possessively. I swallowed the bitter ache in my heart and left to catch a cab to the hospital.

The doctor said I was getting better and needed to meet new people.

I looked down, realizing how much I'd leaned on Camden for the past twenty years because of my illness.

But now...

I touched my chest as my phone buzzed.

Seeing the message, my heart skipped a beat. I gripped the phone tightly.

I rushed out of the hospital.

When I got home, it looked like a tornado had torn through. Family photos were shredded, and my mom's keepsakes were scattered everywhere.

Adriana still had my mother's ring on her finger.

Like a wild animal, I lunged to snatch it back.

Adriana sneered and shoved me hard.

She yanked my hair and slapped my face. "You think I could get into your room without Camden letting me?"

"Give it back..."

My voice was raspy from disuse, blood lingering in my mouth.

"What's all the noise?"

Camden's irritated voice cut through the tension. Instinctively, I looked to him, hoping he'd remember our shared past.

But he didn't intervene.

He just sat there, watching like it was a show. "Isla, apologize to Adriana, and let's end this."

Rage consumed me, and I lunged at Adriana's throat.

Marks appeared on her neck.

Camden dragged me back, his voice chilly, "Isla, apologize."

I took a deep breath, my eyes filled with hatred. "Give me back the ring."

Camden seemed taken aback.

Casually, he took the ring from Adriana, holding it just out of reach. "Isla Mills, kneel and beg."

I bit my lip hard enough to bleed.

Breathing heavily, I slowly knelt, tears streaming down as my forehead touched the floor.

Then Camden gripped my throat, throwing the ring out the window.

His eyes were bloodshot with rage. "Why, Isla Mills?"

"Why mourn something long gone? They were with you only for a few years."

I struggled to breathe, the world darkening.

Then he released me. "Get out!"

I stumbled, half-crawling down the stairs, sprinting toward the pond outside, where there was no sign of the ring.

Exhaustion overtook me, and without thinking, I dove in.

Desperate to retrieve the only thing that truly belonged to me.