My fists tightened.

Valerie spoke up suddenly. "Jordan, don't make things difficult for Naomi. If we're not meant to be, then so be it."

Jordan's face turned a darker shade.

It did not matter. As long as my brother lived, nothing else mattered.

I gritted my teeth and started to kneel.

Just then, a phone rang.

Jordan stepped aside to take the call.

"Naomi, don't think you can get away with this," Valerie muttered under her breath.

I glanced at her, saying nothing.

Being ignored clearly irritated her.

"Naomi, are you deaf?"

I still did not respond.

Her expression stiffened.

By then, Jordan had already hung up.

Just as he was about to turn back, Valerie suddenly let out a sharp cry.

"Ah!"

She dropped. She landed on the carpet hard.

Jordan ended the call and ran.

"Valerie, what happened?"

Valerie curled into his chest. She lifted her face. Tears were already there.

"I was just telling her… that donating bone marrow could harm your health. I told her to think carefully, but she… she hit me…"

Jordan stood up. His backhand landed across my face.

"Naomi, you make me sick.

"Tell that useless brother of yours to just wait for death."

With that, he picked Valerie up and left without another glance.

I stood there, frozen, for a long time.

Only after the burning pain on my face faded did the tears finally fall.

…

The next morning I went to the hospital with Adam's favorite noodles. He saw my face the moment I walked in.

"Naomi, what happened to you?"

"It's nothing. I wasn't paying attention and walked into something."

He reached up and rumpled my hair.

A nurse came in. "Adam, we're preparing for marrow ablation. Once that's complete, the transplant will begin immediately."

A surge of joy rose in me.

"Did you find a new match?"

She frowned. "What new match? Didn't Mr. Sutton tell you? He'll be coming this afternoon to donate."

I froze, disbelief flashing through my eyes.

After Adam was taken in for the procedure, I went to the company to thank Jordan in person.

His secretary said, "He flew out this morning with Ms. Cooper. They're seeing the fall foliage in Sunset Country."

My vision went blank for a moment.

Adam had already begun the ablation process. Once it started, there was no turning back–without a transplant, he wouldn't survive.

Panic surged through me.

I rushed back to the hospital.

Too late.

Without the marrow, Adam had nothing left in him. His body was being cleared out for nothing.

I called Jordan.

I called him until he picked up.

"I'm begging you. Please come back and save my brother–"

His voice was impatient.

"I promised Valerie we'd go see the leaves. We'll talk in a few days."

"Adam has already started the procedure!" I shouted.

Valerie's voice came through the phone.

"I was the one who called the hospital. Let him go through a few rounds first–so he won't be so nervous when the real transplant happens."

"You heard that," Jordan said flatly. "Valerie's doing this for Adam's sake."

Then he hung up.

When I called again, the phone was already switched off.

My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the floor, a wave of helplessness swallowing me whole.

At that moment, a doctor's voice rang out from down the hall–

"Where is the donor? The patient isn't going to make it!"

I ran toward the operating room.

Adam lay there, completely still. His face was drained of all color.

Panic hit me all at once.

I saw the prepared bone marrow beside the equipment and dropped to my knees in front of the doctor.

"Please… save my brother."

I bowed my head to the ground again and again.

The doctor could not bear to look at me.

"It's not that I won't save him… the donor hasn't arrived."

"Without a matching transplant, there's nothing I can do."

My chest tightened.

"Then find one! Check the registry–match someone!"

I got to my feet and grabbed his arm, my voice trembling.

"As long as there's a donor, I'll pay anything. Whatever it takes."

The doctor didn't respond. He only let out a heavy sigh.

At that moment, the heart monitor suddenly began to spike–rapid, erratic.

The doctor's expression changed instantly.

"Quick–cardiac stimulants!"

Several nurses rushed in.

However, before the needle could even touch Adam, the line on the monitor went flat.

The doctor looked at me.

"Ms. Wells… my condolences."

The world spun. My legs gave out.

I forced myself to his bedside, step by step, and grabbed his hand.

"Adam… Wake up. Don't leave me…

"Adam!"

I cried out again and again. But there was no answer.

…

The day we buried him, it poured without stopping.

I knelt in front of his grave, wishing I could follow him. But I could not.

Not yet.

I still had to take revenge.

Jordan Sutton. Valerie Cooper.

They would pay for this.

…

I went back to the Sutton house.

Jordan looked surprised to see me.

"You're back? Don't you need to take care of that useless brother of yours?"

The words stabbed into me.

I forced my voice steady.

"There's nothing left to take care of."

He pulled the half-finished craft project off his desk and tossed it at me.

"Good timing. Finish this for me.

"I'm giving it to Valerie tomorrow."

Then he walked away.

I stared at his back, my hand tightening.

Crack.

A clean split ran through the object in my hand.

I threw it straight into the trash.

Then I went back to my room and started packing.

Valerie opened my door without knocking.

"Well, look at you. Still in the mood for a trip?"

"Didn't your brother just die? Shouldn't you be mourning?"

I raised my head and looked at her.

Hatred surged in my eyes.

"You did it on purpose."

"Of course I did." She did not even try to deny it.

"I was the one who told the hospital that Jordan was going to donate bone marrow."

"And then I deliberately took him away–so after your brother finished preparation, he could lie there and wait to die."

My blood surged violently. My fists clenched, nails digging deep into my palms.

"Why?" I forced the words out.

"Because I can't stand either of you."

Her voice was full of arrogance.

"One of you shamelessly clings to Jordan.

"The other is half-dead, still begging him for bone marrow.

"Why should people like you get to live?"

She kept talking.

The hatred I had been holding back finally broke loose.

I lunged forward and grabbed her by the throat.

She struggled wildly, kicking and clawing–but she could not break free.

Just as she was about to lose consciousness–the door slammed open.

A tall figure rushed in, grabbed a baseball bat–and brought it down hard against my head.

My hand loosened. I collapsed onto the floor, blood streaming down my forehead.

"Valerie, are you okay?

"I'm sorry I came late."

Jordan reached out, checking the bruises around Valerie's neck, his voice trembling.

"Jordan… I almost didn't get to see you again."

Tears streamed down her face.

"Naomi… Naomi told me to persuade you to donate bone marrow to her brother. I was worried it would affect your health, so I refused… and she tried to kill me!

"I was so scared…"

She clung tightly to his waist, trembling like a frightened animal.

"Naomi! Have you lost your mind?!"

His eyes locked onto me.

"Whether I donate or not is my decision. What right did you have to hurt Valerie?"

His voice was full of anger. The disgust in his eyes was unmistakable.

I looked up at him. A faint, mocking smile tugged at my lips.

"You're pitiful."

He froze.

"What… did you say?"

I slowed my voice deliberately, enunciating every word.

"I said–you're pitiful. To be played so easily by a vicious woman like her… like a dog on a leash."

His expression darkened instantly.

"Jordan, look at her," Valerie said, her eyes reddening. "She insults me like this–are you just going to let it go?"

He pressed his lips together.

After a few seconds of silence, he picked up the baseball bat nearby and looked at me. His gaze was complicated.

"Naomi… you brought this on yourself."

The bat came down hard against my leg.

"Ah–!"

The scream that tore out of me was sharp and raw. Pain shot through my shin.

My face went deathly pale. Cold sweat broke out across my forehead.

For a moment, he hesitated, as if he wanted to help me up–but when he met Valerie's eyes, he stopped.

"I'll have the butler take you to the hospital.

"Remember this lesson."

His voice turned cold as he wrapped an arm around her and walked out.

I could no longer hold myself up. I collapsed onto the floor.

My breaths came in ragged gasps.

However, at the corner of my lips… there was a faint smile.

…

Today was the day I was leaving with the project team. It was also the day of Mr. Sutton's birthday banquet.

[Naomi. Don't be late. Cover for me and Valerie in front of my father.]

I looked at the message Jordan sent.

A cold laugh escaped me.

I pulled the SIM card out of my phone and tossed it into the trash.

Then, without a second thought, I boarded the plane.

…

At the same time, the banquet was in full swing.

Everything had reached its peak–but I still hadn't appeared.

Jordan kept glancing toward the entrance, growing more and more restless.

Then suddenly–the large screen in the hall lit up.

A video began to play.

On it, Jordan and Valerie were tangled together in his bedroom, completely absorbed in each other.

The entire room fell silent–and then erupted into chaos.