Security dragged me out. Passersby stared—some with disgust, others with pity. A few whispered for the guards to be gentle, but no one stepped in.
Noah followed at a leisurely pace. The moment we cleared the crowd, the gentleman act dropped. He shoved me into his car.
Back in that suffocating basement, he forced my head under the faucet, scrubbing blood from my mouth with rough strokes.
"I love breaking things that try so hard to survive," he sneered, water dripping from his chin. "Your brother, your parents—they play you for a fool, and you thank them. You bleed yourself dry for a lie." He met my eyes in the mirror. "Is the game fun, Harper?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
After a night of torment, he dressed me like a doll and dumped me at the psychiatric hospital.
The guard frowned as I approached. "Harper, you look terrible. You can't keep working yourself to death."
I nodded and walked to Hudson's ward.
My brother was pacing in striped pajamas. Calm—until he saw my reflection in the window. The "madness" took over instantly.
He lunged, fingers digging into my arms, pinching and biting.
"Jinx! Curse! Get out!" he screamed.
I stood there and took it.
Minutes later, the storm passed. He collapsed, weeping, clutching my hands.
"Harper... I'm so sorry," he sobbed. "Don't bother with me anymore. I'm just a burden. Leave me to die."
I watched him, heart aching. I didn't see the performance. The manipulation. Only my broken brother.
"Don't apologize, Hudson," I said softly. "I've saved enough. You can get treatment now. Soon Eliana will come back. We'll be a family again."
He reached for the bank card I offered. His fingers brushed the raw wound on the back of my hand—a souvenir from last night—and froze.
"Harper," he whispered. "Your hand..."
I pulled my hand back, feigning indifference. "You can't make money without getting a few scrapes."
Hudson frowned. A flicker of unease crossed his face, but he didn't press the issue. He merely offered a dry, perfunctory warning. "Take care of yourself."
Then, without a second glance, he got into his car and drove away.
My phone buzzed. A text from Eliana flashed on the screen.
Following the coordinates she provided, I arrived at the Riverside Mansion.