Cora panicked. "Karen, Nina, you useless cowards, help me already!"

Karen Bennett and Nina Bennett stood frozen, red handprints stark on their cheeks, both trembling like leaves in the wind, neither daring to say a word.

Cora gagged as she stared into the toilet bowl filled with filth-her stomach churned like it wanted to empty out everything from the last three days.

She hadn't even flushed after using it. Disgusting didn't even cover it.

Ignoring the burning pain in her wrists, she quickly braced her elbows on the toilet seat, desperate to struggle free. No way was she putting her face anywhere near that mess.

But the pressure on her head kept increasing, and as the dirty water got closer and closer, she finally snapped. Her entire body shook from fear.

She choked out a sob, her voice breaking, "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have kidnapped Evan, I shouldn't have threatened you! You already stabbed through my wrist, isn't that enough? Can we call it even now, please?"

"I swear, if you let me go, I'll leave you alone forever! Let's move on!"

Serena let out a cold laugh. "Even? This is your idea of evening the score?"

"Yes, yes!" Cora nodded like crazy, hair sticking to her tear-streaked face, thinking the nightmare might finally be over.

Feeling the pressure on her head lighten, she exhaled in relief. But hatred burned hard in her eyes.

Wait till her brother showed up. She'd make Serena eat crap.

Just as the thought passed, Serena tilted her head and said casually, "Nope."

Cora blinked, confused. "What do you mean, nope?"

"I mean, I'm not done yet."

With a chilling grin still on her lips and eyes that could freeze fire, Serena suddenly kicked Cora hard in the back, slamming her face-first into the toilet.

"Mm-gahhh-!"

At that exact moment, the bathroom door was kicked open with a deafening bang.

A group of men stormed in, and the one at the rear walked in slowly, with a deep scar across his left cheek and a straight-backed posture that screamed military training.

"Who the hell touched my sister?"

Karen and Nina looked like they'd just seen God, puffy faces lighting up with hope. They scrambled over, voices shaky as they pointed to the bathroom. "Oscar! She's in the bathroom!"

Oscar Bennett stared at them, frowning, then made his way toward the door.

Right then, a woman came stumbling out, soaked in filth, stinking so bad it made people gag on instinct.

Seeing her about to lunge at him, Oscar reflexively kicked her away. "What lunatic is-"

Cora crashed into the floor, blood and mess all over her, sobbing painfully. "It's me! It's Cora! Your sister, goddammit! Gahhh-!"

Oscar's eyes widened. "Cora?! Who the hell did this to you?!"

He took a step forward, then retched at the smell and froze, staring at her with a mix of shock and disbelief.

Cora was crying so hard she could barely speak. "It-it was-"

Oscar leaned in but seemed to grow impatient. "Who? Speak clearly!"

"It was me."

Serena stepped out of the bathroom slowly, owning it without hesitation. She even had a casual smile on her face.

Cora instantly pointed at her, both scared and pissed off. "It's her! Bro, get her for me-kill her if you have to!"

Oscar Bennett looked up at the shout.

He was stunned for a second by Serena's looks, but the moment he saw his sister all messed up, rage started bubbling up.

"You kidding me? You did this to my sister?"

Serena shrugged, totally unfazed. "Yeah, that was me."

Oscar choked for a second, not expecting her to admit it so easily.

"Bro, she messed up my wrist-look at it! It hurts so bad!" Cora whined, lifting her arm. The bloody mess was hard to ignore.

Oscar's heart clenched. He turned and barked, "You two, get Cora to the hospital, now!"

Karen and Nina Bennett didn't need telling twice-they were more than ready to leave. Each grabbed one of Cora's arms to help her out.

But then-

"Who said you could move?"

Serena's voice came out like a whip-sharp, cold, and dangerous.

The moment she spoke, both Karen and Nina froze mid-reach. The room felt like the temperature dropped ten degrees. Just that one sentence made their hands start to shake.

Still, Karen sneaked a glance at Oscar and got a bit of courage. "What... what do you even want?"

As soon as she looked into Serena's eyes, though, any trace of confidence vanished.

Those eyes were cold as ice. One look, and Karen turned her head away fast, neck shrinking back as if she could disappear. She didn't dare breathe loud.

"It's pretty simple," Serena said slowly, her gaze dropping to the still-crumpled Cora. Her cold smile crept up. "She kneels and apologizes to Evan. Then you three? Off to co-ed jail, just like she suggested. Play babysitter for a hundred inmates. Do that, and I'm done."

Cora gave a sharp laugh, full of disdain. "My brother's right here. You really think I'm still scared of you?"

"Try it and see." Oscar stepped up, scowling hard enough to crack concrete. His protectiveness radiated off him. "You're a pretty face with a rotten heart. Lay one finger on my family, and you'll find out what I'm made of."

"Rotten? Seems like that label fits your sister way better," Serena said, lifting a hand like it was no big deal. But there was no humor in her eyes. "She's the one who said she'd throw me into jail and let me get torn apart. I just repeated her words. Somehow that's worse?"

She leaned forward a bit, her voice turning into ice. "Isn't that right, Miss Bennett?"

Being called out lit something in Cora-adrenaline kicked in, even dulled her aching wrist. Hatred pinned her upright.

She grabbed Oscar's arm, face twisted. "Bro, stop wasting time. Grab her!

"Serena, right? I changed my mind-I don't want you dead anymore. I want you to suffer. I want you to wish you were!"

Once Oscar got his hands on Serena, Cora would lock that btch up in the Bennett family's basement and torture her every damn day.

Just a nobody orphan. An escaped convict, no less. And she had the audacity to shove Cora's head in a toilet?

That kind of humiliation? Even killing her a hundred times wouldn't be enough.

Cora would brand that vixen-like face of hers with a red-hot iron, strip away every inch of beauty until there was nothing left to love.

She'd feed her scraps off the floor-hell, maybe even make her live off her own filth. Yeah. Exactly that. Let her choke on it.

"Go ahead, try me."

Four simple words-but they hit like a hammer.

Cora's pupils shrank as if some hellish flower was flying straight toward the center of her forehead. Her whole back stiffened, hairs standing on end. That stabbing pain in her wrist came rushing back too.

She immediately shrank behind Oscar. "B-Bro, protect me!"

Hiding behind her brother was always her safest bet.

She'd killed someone before by accident, and even then, Oscar flipped the whole thing and pinned the blame on the dead guy.

And come on, Oscar was a government official. He had power. No way Serena had the guts to lay a finger on him.

Sure enough, Serena didn't move.

But then Oscar's brows furrowed a little.

Serena? Douglas family?

Oscar studied her, eyes narrowing. "You're with the Douglas family?"

She looked young, but she did kinda resemble Esther facially, especially around the eyes.

He'd worked with the Douglas family for years, cleaned up plenty of "messes" for them, and considered himself a close ally. Never once did he hear about Esther having another daughter besides Aria.

Could she be a secret child? Or maybe just some phony clout-chaser?

"What, you think being from the Douglas family means your sister's getting a free pass from prison?" Serena scoffed, her tone full of mockery.

That hit a nerve. Oscar's protectiveness flared.

"You've got a death wish."

He was just about to throw a punch when-bang! Cora dropped to the floor hard, her wrist gushing blood again. Her face went ghost white.

"Cora!"

Oscar caught her just in time, then yanked his gun from his waistband like lightning, aiming it straight at Serena.

"I don't give a damn who you think you are-the truth's whatever I say it is! Enough talking. You two, get her to the hospital!"

Then to his men: "Take that woman down! Now!"

But before the last word even left his mouth, Serena moved.

A knee, a kick-so fast she was a blur.

Thud! The gun went flying from Oscar's hand.

Before anyone could blink, Serena hooked a finger midair. The gun spun right into her palm, and in one smooth move, she flipped it and pressed the barrel dead center against Oscar's forehead.

"Director Bennett." Serena's aura exploded in an instant, her gaze icy enough to freeze the air. "Right now, I've got the truth-and this gun. Let's change the rules. Anyone dares to move, you're dead. Sound fair?"

The cold barrel pressed right against his forehead, and Oscar Bennett froze up on the spot.

Even back when he was in the field facing elite special ops, he'd never seen someone with this kind of presence.

That stance, that killing intent... Serena wasn't just some ordinary woman.

Was she... military?

"Don't move! Nobody move!"

His subordinates all froze like statues.

Meanwhile, Cora's pale face twisted with fury. "Oscar! Don't let her scare you. She's not some big shot. She's just Evan's little sister-the one who got locked up six years ago! Grew up in an orphanage, escaped from prison! Just think-capturing her would earn you serious points!"

Hearing that, most of the fear in Oscar's heart vanished.

He sneered, eyes filled with scorn. "Hey sweetheart, you even know how to handle a gun? Careful you don't shoot yourself."

Serena raised an eyebrow.

Accidental discharge?

If Gavin Moore were here to hear someone questioning her marksmanship, that ice-cold face of his might actually crack a smile.

Her "Gun Queen" title wasn't for show-it was earned with real bodies on real battlefields.

Question her?

"Bang!"

The gunshot roared.

Blood sprayed like a red mist, spattering across Oscar's face.

His guy didn't even make a sound. Just dropped like a rock, a hole right between the eyes.

Serena calmly held the gun, casually blowing the smoke off the barrel as she spoke with a light chuckle, "Director Bennett, I gave your SIG SISP330 a little test. German engineering, huh? Doesn't misfire that easily. Chill out."

Oscar stood frozen, eyes wide. Whatever color had been in his face vanished completely. He couldn't even get a word out.

The three Bennett women screamed in terror.

Cora scrambled like her life depended on it, practically throwing herself behind Karen. No way she was letting that next bullet hit her.

Oscar, a man used to seeing blood, managed to pull himself together after a moment. His voice lowered, trying to sound reasonable. "Miss Douglas... let's just talk this through..."

But heavy, steady footsteps came from outside just then.

The door creaked open. In walked a tall figure, each step radiating command.

Oscar's eyes lit up like he'd just seen a lifeline and nearly shouted, "General Moore! You're here?!"

Gavin didn't even glance at him.

And when Cora saw Gavin, her expression shifted completely.

His military uniform fit like it was molded to his body-broad shoulders, narrow waist, sharp eyes, and that cold, commanding presence you couldn't fake.

She instantly forgot the grime on her face and the pain in her wrist, scrambling off the floor while forcing herself to sound pitiful: "You're General Gavin Moore, right? Great! This woman not only hurt me, she pointed a gun at my brother! That's assaulting an officer in broad daylight! General, you have to stand up for us Bennetts!"

As she spoke, she threw a smug glance at Serena, clearly convinced Gavin would take her side.

Gavin slowly raised his hand and pulled the gun from his waist.

Seeing that, Cora looked even more pleased with herself and lifted her chin at Serena. "Be smart and drop the gun! Beg now, and I might still put in a word-let the General spare your life..."

Before she could finish, Serena calmly lowered her weapon.

With Gavin here, she couldn't be bothered to deal with these clowns anymore.

Thinking Serena was giving up, Cora's smirk deepened. Just as she opened her mouth again-

Bang!

A shot exploded by her feet.

The bullet buried itself in the floor just a hair from her toes, wood shards slicing up against her leg-so sharp it made her jump.

"General Moore, you shot the wrong person!" she shrieked, stunned, staring at Gavin.

But Gavin had already walked up to Serena, his expression respectful: "Your Highness, I'm sorry for arriving late."

"Y-Your Highness?" Everyone in the room froze.

Karen and Nina Bennett dropped to the floor in shock, while Oscar Bennett stood rooted in place.

He'd spent years in the military-if anyone knew Gavin Moore's rank and power, it was him.

So young, yet already a general with real authority under his command.

If someone could make Gavin speak with that much respect and call them "Your Highness"...

A terrifying thought flashed through Oscar's mind, cold sweat soaking his back as he turned to look at Serena again. The contempt from earlier was now replaced with raw fear.

And Cora was still completely clueless, hopping on one foot and shouting, "Highness? You've gotta be kidding! General, don't let her fool you! She's a convict! She broke out before finishing her sentence!"

Smack!

A loud slap echoed.

Oscar swung his hand and slapped Cora hard across the face, his eyes filled with fury.

Totally clueless. Couldn't even read the damn room.

He still didn't know exactly who Serena was, but one thing was clear-letting Cora spout off like a maniac was a death sentence for all of them.

If she got herself killed, fine. But if she dragged the whole Bennett family down with her, that was it.

They couldn't even afford to piss off Gavin Moore, let alone someone the general would bow to.

Who the hell was Serena to have Gavin himself treating her like royalty?

If Cora kept running her mouth, she'd send the whole family straight to hell.

Cora was stunned by the slap, covering her cheek and crying, "Why'd you hit me, bro? I'm telling the truth!"

Gavin shot her a frosty look, disgust practically written on his face.

Unbelievable. Eyes wide open and still so blind.

They knew who he was... but had no clue about her.

Idiots. No wonder they were courting death.

Yeah, makes sense. Back in the day, Her Highness tore up the battlefield like a nightmare-took out enemy commanders from three kilometers away without even blinking. She literally ended the border war on her own. No wonder the enemy troops used to call her the "Scarlet Valkyrie."

These small-time thugs who bully people around Draco City? Not even qualified to stand at attention in front of her, let alone know who she is.

He raised his gun again, calm and steady as the barrel pointed right at Cora's forehead. He tilted his head, asking Serena, "Your Highness, someone this clueless... want me to take her out right now so she doesn't keep disgusting you?"

"No need." Serena's voice was calm, icy. "Didn't I just say? She's already headed for where she belongs."

She turned her gaze toward Karen and Nina Bennett, who were shaking like leaves. Her voice carried not a hint of warmth. "You two. Repeat exactly what I told you earlier."

The sisters were already scared stiff. Now they were just sobbing and huddled together, stammering in sync, "Apologize... apologize to Mr. Carter and beg for forgiveness... And we-we're all being sent to the co-ed prison... to serve a hundred inmates..."

Only then did Serena seem satisfied. She let the gun fall to the floor by Oscar Bennett's feet with a casual toss.

The thud it made on the ground echoed through the room, making Oscar flinch like he'd been zapped.

"Director Bennett," she said, her tone almost teasing, "What do you think of this method of law enforcement?"

Oscar nodded so hard and fast he nearly snapped his neck. His back was bent nearly in half. "Y-Yes! Of course! Absolutely yes!"

Then he whirled to yell at the three, "What are you waiting for? Don't just stand there-hurry up and apologize to Mr. Carter!"

Terrified, Karen and Nina dropped to their knees immediately and bowed their heads to Evan.

But Cora wouldn't budge. Chin up, teeth clenched, she refused to kneel. Seeing this, Oscar broke out in a cold sweat and shot a glare at his men.

Two officers rushed in, held Cora down, and slammed her head to the ground.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Only when the three of them had busted foreheads and bloodied faces did Serena finally speak, slow and lazy, "That's enough for now."

She put a finger to her lips and turned to the crying trio. With a soft smile she warned, "Shh. If you wake up my brother, forget prison-you'll be buried alive."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Oscar quickly barked out, "Don't just stand there, drag them out of here! Follow protocol!"

"Oscar! You can't do this to me! I'm your sister! I don't wanna go to prison!" Cora finally broke, struggling wildly as her screams echoed. Her nails dug deep gashes into the officers' arms.

"Serena is a liar! She's not some highness! Let me go!"

Oscar couldn't even look at her. Only when her cries faded down the hall and silence returned did he dare wipe the cold sweat off his face.

"Thanks for taking the trouble, Director Bennett. Really appreciate you escorting the three of them to jail yourself."

"Of course. Just doing my job."

Oscar Bennett nodded and left the room.

Gavin Moore straightened up then, went down on one knee and said seriously, "Your Highness, I was supposed to protect you at all times. I arrived too late this time. Please punish me!"

"It's not your fault," Serena reached out to help him up, her eyes shifting toward Evan who was lying in bed. "Get up. Let's get Evan back to the orphanage first. He's been drugged-he needs to rest and recover."

Gavin quickly responded, "Understood. I'll go call a doctor right away!"

"No need. I've got this."

When Serena said that, only then did Gavin freeze for a second and remember-how could he forget? Her medical skills were unmatched.

Back on the battlefield, she could heal wounds with just a silver needle, turning hopeless cases around and saving countless lives. Honestly, even the top specialists in Draco City combined probably couldn't hold a candle to her.

He'd basically just insulted her "Silver Needle Sage" reputation with that dumb suggestion.

He immediately gave a respectful nod and carefully helped Evan get up.

...

Gavin carried Evan into the car and drove straight to the Angel Orphanage on the outskirts of the city. Evan was the director there. It was also the place Serena had grown up.

She gave him a couple more acupuncture treatments. Watching him start to sweat, she finally pulled out the needle, tugged the blanket up around him, and stepped out into the yard.

Right in the center stood an old tree, thick with green leaves now.

But she still remembered how, when she was just a kid, her brothers would take turns lifting her up to pick the flowers off it and snack on the sweet petals. The poor tree used to get stripped bare because of her.

Now, the new kids were all well-behaved and took great care of it-it stood tall and strong.

She stopped for a moment to take another look before heading toward the classroom.

Thanks to her quiet donations over the years, the desks and books here were always brand new.

But the old, worn desks from her childhood, the pile of secondhand toys in the corner, that teddy bear missing one ear-they were burned into her memory.

When she was five, Evan had found her abandoned in the mountains, feverish and half-conscious. She was unconscious for three days, and it was Evan and her brothers-taking turns wiping her hands and feet with warm water-who had pulled her back from the brink.

They'd taken care of her for seven years.

Little by little, the pain of losing her parents and being left in the wilderness by her aunt started to fade. The orphanage became her true home.

She really believed she'd be able to live a simple, happy life here forever.

But when she turned twelve, life threw her a cruel punch in the gut.

That was when she found out the truth about her parents' death-and when her own aunt framed her and got her locked up.

Since that moment, a fire had started burning in her chest-one of pure revenge, only getting hotter over the years...

"Evan's awake!"

A little girl with pigtails ran up and tugged at her sleeve.

Snapping back to reality, Serena followed the girl into the room.

Evan was already upright, looking much better. Serena brought over a bowl of warm oatmeal and started gently feeding him, spoonful by spoonful.

"Evan, what happened? How did you fall into Cora's trap?"

Evan swallowed and let out a tired sigh, his voice still a bit hoarse. "Cora spent six months chasing me-I turned her down more than once. Guess she couldn't take the rejection. She drugged my drink, and the next thing I knew, I woke up in a hotel room."

Serena's hand froze for a second mid-air. A flicker of coldness flashed in her eyes.Just then, Gavin Moore walked in. "Don't worry, Director Carter. The three from the Bennett family are all on their way to prison."

Evan looked up at him, a flicker of surprise on his face.

Gavin, thinking he was hesitating out of sympathy, quickly added, "They're paying for what they did. They deserve it."

"That's not it," Evan shook his head, his eyes shifting to Serena with quiet pride. "I'm just realizing... she's not the little girl who used to hide behind me and cry anymore."

Serena's heart softened. She set down the bowl in her hands and gently hugged him.

The familiar scent clinging to Evan made her nose tingle. A wave of childhood memories crashed over her-those stormy nights when she'd cried from the thunder, and Evan would hold her, whispering that everything would be okay.

Those were the rare warm moments after losing her parents so young.

"Oh, by the way," she pulled back softly. "Have you heard anything about the other brothers?"

Evan's expression dimmed. He shook his head slowly. "I've been searching ever since I became the director."

"Everyone else but us got adopted," he said, "but strangely, the records for their adoptive parents just... vanished. The rest were there, but not theirs. Maybe the data got lost over time."

"If we can't find them, then so be it." Serena said the words casually, but her eyes flicked briefly to Gavin.

He immediately caught on.

That glance? Her silent order to dig deeper.

He nodded and strode out, pulling out his phone to get in touch with intelligence contacts in the military.

Right then, the quiet was broken by a wave of cheerful chatter outside the door. A group of kids came piling into the room, crowding around Evan excitedly.

"Director Carter!"

"Who's that lady? She's so pretty!"

"Duh! That's the sister he always talks about-Serena!"

Serena looked at their innocent, beaming faces and couldn't help but smile.

"Evan... keeping this place going all these years must've been tough on you."

"Not really," Evan patted the head of a boy standing nearby. "This place and I are both doing fine. You, though... I promised I'd protect you while you grew up, and I failed. You had to go through way too much on your own."

His voice softened. "Tell me, what really happened to you all these years?"

Serena's eyes flickered. She looked away. "I've been okay. It was General Moore who helped overturn the case. That's how I got out."

Gavin had just finished his call and walked back in when he heard his name. He froze for a beat, then played along quickly. "Yeah. You can rest assured, Director. The law won't let the innocent suffer forever."

Evan relaxed a bit and met Gavin's gaze, full of gratitude. "I owe you, General. Without you, who knows how much longer she would've been stuck in there."

"You're too kind, sir."

Gavin nodded politely, but he felt a pang of guilt.

If only he actually had that kind of ability.

Meanwhile, in the Bennett estate-

Oscar Bennett stared coldly at the maid lying bloodied on the floor, her face so disfigured her own mother wouldn't recognize her.

"Take her to the guards. Tell them she's Cora."

"Yes, Director!"

His men dragged the barely conscious woman away, leaving a trail of blood behind.

On the couch, Cora lay sprawled like a spoiled cat, her wrist wrapped up thick enough to pass for a loaf of bread. She snapped impatiently, "You sure that stand-in's wrist looks right? Better not mess this up... I'm not going down for this."