I had no home, and I had no love.

After the surgery, they placed me in the hospital room right next to Georgina’s. The walls weren’t soundproof. I could hear everything—laughter, comforting words, and soft reassurances.

Sam and Paxton promised Georgina they’d take her on a trip once she was discharged, while her parents doted on her, gently telling her to take better care of herself. Everything I had once desperately longed for was right there, but for some reason, I no longer cared.

During my hospital stay, Sam and Paxton came to see me once, and I pretended to be asleep. They didn’t bother waiting. After standing at my door for barely half a minute, they went back to Georgina’s room.

I spent nearly the entire recovery period alone, and when I was finally well enough to leave, I got up quietly, ready to disappear. However, just as I stood, an unfamiliar scent filled the air.

A strange dizziness washed over me. My limbs went weak, and the next moment, everything went dark. By the time I regained consciousness, the world around me had changed.

I was in an abandoned warehouse, bound hand and foot. When I looked up, I saw Georgina standing there in a pristine white dress.

Noticing I was awake, she walked over, crouched down, and gently grasped my chin between her fingers.

“This face… It really does look exactly like mine,” she murmured.

A cold wave of unease settled over me. “What do you want?”

Georgina’s tone sharpened. “No matter how much you look like me, you can’t hide what you really are—filth.”

Ignoring my question, she waved a hand, and the men around us grabbed me, dragging me outside.

The sound of crashing waves echoed in my ears. The warehouse opened up to a towering cliff overlooking the ocean. I could feel the blood drain from my face.

Georgina watched as the blood drained from my face. Then, she started talking. “Tell me, why did you have to exist in their lives?”

She sighed, almost as if she were disappointed. “At first, I didn’t understand. There were plenty of hearts in the world that could have been a match for me. So why did Sam and Paxton insist on keeping you so close?

“Then, I figured it out… It’s because they love you.”

I froze, my head snapping up.

She laughed. “You don’t believe me? I, too, didn’t want to believe it, but it’s the truth. They don’t even realize it yet. But once you’re gone, I’ll finally have peace of mind.

“Why should trash like you share my blood? Leah, you were never meant to be born.”

So being kidnapped was Georgina’s doing, and I just listened to her rant, unmoved.

How ironic. I had never been called elegant in my life, while Georgina was the perfect daughter of a prestigious family—graceful, refined, and raised with the utmost care.

Yet, standing here, on the edge of a cliff, she no longer resembled the poised lady everyone admired. Her every word and action reeked of cruelty.

She continued, “Why don’t you take a guess who they’ll choose. You or me?”

Not long after, Sam and Paxton appeared before us. I didn’t have to think to know Georgina must’ve sent someone to inform them.

The ropes around my wrists tightened painfully as the kidnappers secured their grip. I could feel my skin burning, raw and torn. Meanwhile, Georgina had already perfected her performance with her face pale and eyes brimming with unshed tears, playing the part of the fragile victim.

Then, the kidnapper spoke. “Mr. Sam, Mr. Paxton, you only get to save one.”