“The main characters are here. The show can start.”

A rush of footsteps came, and Isla appeared with her people.

“What are you doing?!” she yelled.

“Isla! Mr. Raye hates you for not saving him that day because of me; he’s trying to kill me! Please, save me!” Cassian cried out.

It was the first time I saw pure anger in Isla’s eyes, aimed at me.

She ordered her bodyguards to take down the kidnappers, then ran straight to Cassian and pulled him up.

She held him tightly, her face pale with fear, like someone who had almost lost the most important person in the world.

“Thank goodness you’re safe. I won’t let you be in danger again.”

Just like before. So when she coldly walked past me, I grabbed her hand without thinking.

“Isla, it wasn’t me.”

Her face instantly lost all color. She forced back the nausea rising in her throat and yanked her hand away from mine.

The slap came without warning, hitting hard across my face.

“Get away from me! Don’t touch me! You make me sick!”

“Cassian would never lie to me. She’s the kindest person in the world.”

Blood ran down the corner of my mouth, and at that moment, I didn’t feel like explaining anything anymore.

“Landon, everyone has to face the results of their own actions, and you’re no different.”

“Break his arms. Beat him until he learns his lesson, so he’ll never dare touch Cassian again.”

The bodyguards pinned me down, and the iron rods came down on my arms again and again.

The cracking sound of bones filled the air, cold and cruel. The pain was so intense that everything around me started to fade.

Through the dizziness, it felt like I had gone back to that night long ago when Isla took the beating for me.

As the pain blurred my sight, I quietly hummed the little lullaby I had made up back then.

That night, she had passed out from the pain, and I had been terrified, scared she would never wake again, yet unable to do anything to help her.

I stayed by her side, softly humming to her, hoping to ease even a bit of her pain.

Isla froze for a moment. She hesitated. “This tune... sounds familiar...”

She took a small step closer, wanting to listen more carefully, but Cassian held onto her arm.

“Isla, my arm hurts.”

Her face turned cold again. She took off her coat and wrapped it around him.

“Landon, this is the last time.”

When the final strike landed, I thought to myself, Isla, I don’t owe you anything anymore.