I glanced at her flat belly and gave a bitter smile, "Fine."

She never wanted the child anyway.

That day, I saw her message page and saw her complaining to her best friend that she hated the child. She had even scheduled an abortion surgery and was planning how to deceive me.

If that was the case, then forget it.

As soon as the words fell, Briella's face turned red and she looked broken and aggrieved.

She rushed over and grabbed my shoulder. "What nonsense are you talking about! How could you have the heart to ask me to abort this baby? Don't you treasure the baby in my belly the most?"

It was not surprising that she was so shocked. She saw how much I was looking forward to the birth of this child.

In order to take care of her pregnancy with peace of mind, I resolutely gave up the invitation from the research institute to hire me as the person in charge and resigned to become a househusband.

Briella liked to eat raw vegetables and meat. So, I drove for three hours into the village before dawn to buy vegetables picked that day.

Even though I was a scientific researcher who spent most of my time in the laboratory and in the field, I was willing to take the time to pray for the safety of the mother and baby every day.

However, I knew, the child was born in unwanted and disgust situation.

Such a life was sure a torture for him.

Her eyes were full of brokenness as she held onto my hand -- completely ignoring her purpose of coming here.

She insisted on me taking back what I had just said.

Just then, a cry came from behind.

It was Santiago, his voice was trembling and sharp. "Briella, didn't you promise to marry me? Why are you holding his hand? Why is he wearing a suit?"

"Sergio, did you ask me to come here just to let me see Briella betray me? I hate you!"

He turned and rushed to the road, crying.

Megan yelled and Miranda slapped me in the face.

"Why did you call Santiago here? You have to drive him crazy to be happy, right?"

"If anything happens to him today because of you, I'll never let you go!"

"Briella, stop him!"

Briella suddenly shook off my hand and I fell backwards.

My trousers were torn by stones and my knees was scratched, leaving bloodstains.

I sat on the ground, smiling bitterly, watching their backs as they ran towards Santiago. I had seen such a back view too many times.

I did have a good time when I first came back to this home.

It was a time when Miranda smiled and cooked for me and Megan would take me to play video games after school while Margot would drag me to play with her favorite doll.

But everything changed the day I started dating my neighbor’s Briella.

Santiago began to go crazy.

He cried and shouted -- saying I was scaring him, I was going to send him back to his biological parents' house.

He pointed at me, tears streaming down his face and shouted hysterically, "He said, why does he have to live that kind of life? Why does he have to be beaten and scolded, but I can live a good life in his place? He doesn't accept it, he wants me to live a miserable life too!"

At first, Miranda, Megan and Margot would reason with him.

Miranda whispered. "That's impossible! Sergio wouldn't say that."

Megan also explained. "He's a good kid. He wouldn't say that."

Margot said, "Santiago, you must have misunderstood Sergio."

But over time, Miranda and Margot finally sided with Santiago.

They would scold me with a cold face when Santiago cried.

"Are you done yet? You have to bully Santiago. You're only happy when you see him scared like this, aren't you?"

"If I had known earlier, I shouldn't have taken you in. You've brought our Muller such a disaster."

At that time, Megan would still rush out to defend me.

She said I was volunteering, helping those who were suffering from domestic violence.

"How could a kind-hearted boy like Sergio say such words?"

"Mom, don't be too biased."

She took me away from home and went on a trip to relax.

Later, on my birthday, Santiago went crazy and refused to let me celebrate my birthday.

My sister picked me up directly. She ordered a birthday cake for me and bought me a new sportswear with her own salary.

She said, "Tomorrow is your birthday. I'll take you to watch a game. Don't think about those messed up things."

She patted my head and said with a smile, "I'll always believe in you and stand by your side."

But everything stopped on the second day.

That day, I took a leave of absence to go home, thinking of giving Megan a surprise. But I was blocked at the entrance of the alley by my adoptive father, Jack Olsen, who had just been released from prison.

It was a dark old alley with peeling paint on the walls and a damp, musty smell.

He dragged me into the corner and cursed, "You little bastard, how dare you call the police to arrest me? I'll teach you a lesson!"

I struggled and he kicked me down.

He snatched the cake from my hand and stomped it hard on the ground. The cream mixed with mud looked like a pool of dirty blood.

I was dizzy from the beating and my clothes were torn.

At that moment, I felt like I was back in that old hell.

When I woke up, I covered my wound and ran to find my older sister.

She was sitting at the door of the ward.

I rushed over and cried to her. "Megan, help me ...."

But before I could finish my words, she slapped me in the face.

That was the first time she hit me.

She grabbed me and dragged me into the ward, making me kneel in front of Santiago's bed. She gritted her teeth and scolded me, "I didn't expect you to be so good at pretending! You actually had the guts to bribe that old bastard to bully Santiago!"

My face was full of tears and I cried and shook my head. "It's not me... It's really not me ...."

However, she didn't believe it. She just looked at me disappointedly and said coldly, "I never thought that scumbag would teach you such a shameful thing."

"Now Santiago has gone crazy because of you! Sergio, you'd better feel guilty forever and spend the rest of your life apologizing to him."

My mother stood aside, looking at me expressionlessly.

Even Briella had a cold expression, saying, "You've disappointed me."

Later, she spent almost every day with Santiago, saying it was to apologize on my behalf.

I had always assumed my adoptive father was lying and seeking revenge against me. Until I overheard Santiago talking on the phone with a friend.

He laughed proudly.

"Haha, I'm fine. Just one act and he'll be finished. That old bastard, just give him some money and he'll cooperate."

"I told you, who the hell is he to steal my family? As long as I cry a few times, the whole family will believe me."

I felt completely numb when I learned the truth.

I came back to my senses.

I propped myself up against the wall, stumbled to my feet and turned to walk to the hotel. But before I could take a few steps, Megan ran over and grabbed my arm.

She roared in anger. "You deliberately called Santiago here, which made him sick again! He almost got hit by a car just now and he's scared out."

"You must come with us to the hospital and kneel down in front of his bed to apologize!"

"Wait until he wakes up and then we'll decide whether to let you go!"

I struggled as Megan dragged me into the car.

The voice of the police came from the earphones. "The person suspected to be the psychopath has disappeared. You're on standby. You don't need to go into the hotel."

I let out a long sigh.

She responded, "Got it," and turn off the earphones.

Then she grabbed my arm and dragged me to the hospital's emergency room.

The moment the door closed, I whispered.

"Megan, I didn't tell anyone about me wearing a suit to the hotel."

"I also didn't call out to anyone to go over, much less intentionally call out to Santiago to go over."

"Do you believe me this time?"

Megan frowned and impatiently pushed me. "Alright, there's no point in arguing. Just admit your mistake. As long as Santiago forgives you, Mom and I won't pursue your issue."

I gave a wry smile, the last shred of hope in my heart swallowed by bitterness. I turned and went into the emergency room.

As soon as the door closed, I felt a sharp pain in my neck, lost my balance and fell to the ground.

When I woke up, I found myself tied up in a warehouse. The light was dim and the air was musty and next to me lying Santiago.

He opened his eyes and cursed angrily. "Jack, you old bastard, is your brain getting old and not working well? I clearly told you to just catch him, why did you catch me too?"

He tried to get up, but found himself unable to move. He then yelled. "I told you to just act! Just tie him up! Why are you tying me up too? I just bought some trendy, limited edition clothes and they got stained. Can you, an old man, afford to pay for it?"

Just as he was shouting and cursing, something was thrown in. He looked closely and screamed like crazy.

It was a chopped-to pieces corpse. It was my adoptive father and Santiago's biological father, Jack Olsen.

A hunched figure walked out from the corner, grinning sinisterly.

The system coldly reminded me in my mind: [This man is the psycopath, Randall.]

Just as Santiago was crying and begging for mercy, a group of armed police rushed in from outside the door and shouted. "Release the hostages, or we will shoot!"

My older sister, with her eyes red, rushed to the front, shouting. "Let my brother go! I can leave you a whole body!"

Briella heard Santiago's cries and yelled through the door.

"I can give you fourty-two million dollar, release Santiago!"

The cold-blooded murderer's smile was filled with chilling emotion.

"I didn't want to kill anyone at first. But someone killed someone and framed me and I just couldn't accept it. So, I'll kill another one. You guys can watch out this time, this is the one I killed."

Randall said slowly, "I've kidnapped two people this time. You can choose. Whoever you choose will live. One is the boy whose name you just called out and the other is—"

Before the psychopath could finish his words, Megan and Briella shouted at the same time. "We choose Santiago! I choose Santiago!"

I smiled bitterly and closed my eyes.

He laughed heartily and threw Santiago towards them.

Santiago threw himself into their arms, crying and begging them to take him away.

Without waiting for Megan and Briella to breathe a sigh of relief, Randall suddenly pulled a spherical object from his pocket, grinning and threw it toward the police and the crowd.

"I can't escape this time anyway, so I might as well take a few more people with me before I die!"

Megan had her pupils trembling violently and she immediately shouted. "Retreat! He has a bomb!"

Screams, shouts and sobs echoed alongside the man's shrill laughter. "Die, everyone, hahaha!"

The next second, everyone watched in horror as a thin figure struggled out from the corner.

I rushed over, threw myself upon the bomb and pinned it firmly against Randall's arms.

The bomb buzzed between us. The sound was like a knife, piercing into my chest and soon there was a loud tearing sound.

Dark heat wave pain.

Glass shattered, sawdust splattered and ears seemed torn apart.

Amidst the scorching pain, a pair of gentle hands grasped mine.

It was Timothy.

His voice was as light as the wind, yet it rang clearly in my ears.

"Sergio, don't be afraid. We're going home."

I choked up and struggled to hold his hand.

"Timothy."

"I finally found you."

The warehouse was engulfed in flames after the explosion. The officers involved in the arrest rushed forward, but were forced back by billowing smoke.

Someone cried out. "Ms. Muller! Sergio is still inside!"

"He saved us!"