Chapter 3

Elaine hadn't even finished speaking before Marissa cut in. "Mom, Dad, it's okay. I'm sure Cassandra was just in a bad mood when she woke up. She didn't mean it." Watching Marissa's performance made Cassandra feel sick. When Marissa first came back, Cassandra had pitied her. She had even handed over her favorite stuffed toy, never realizing how much pain this so-called pitiful sister would end up bringing her. At first, it was small things. Marissa ruined the flowers Elaine had painstakingly cared for, then slipped the shears into Cassandra's room and claimed Cassandra had done it. She shattered an antique vase Howard collected, then lured Cassandra over to the broken pieces and said Cassandra had smashed it. Later, it only got worse. Cassandra had prepared for a competition for six months. However, Marissa pretended to have lost her entry pass by accident, then acted wronged as if it weren't her fault. Marissa even jumped into a river and choked on water, then claimed Cassandra had pushed her. Every single time, their parents scolded Cassandra without hearing her side. When Cassandra tried to defend herself, they called it excuses. They said she was petty and couldn't tolerate her own sister. Little by little, Cassandra finally understood that Marissa had never seen her as a sister. Even Howard and Elaine stopped loving her years ago. Now, Marissa was pulling the same trick again, setting Cassandra up right in front of them. And Howard still didn't care what the truth was. He pointed at Cassandra and shouted, "You ruined breakfast. When will you ever change that attitude? "How did I end up with such an arrogant, unreasonable daughter? You're nowhere near as good as Marissa!" Cassandra bit her lip. Marissa stood there, protected by Howard and Elaine, her eyes flashing with quiet provocation. Cassandra was so furious she almost laughed. When she was younger, she would have cried and tried to defend herself. But now, she didn't bother anymore. "What do you mean by 'arrogant and unreasonable?'" Cassandra's mouth quirked. "This is what being arrogant and unreasonable looks like!" She grabbed the tablecloth and yanked hard. With a crash, the carefully arranged breakfast slid straight off the table. Plates of food hit the floor, scattering everywhere. Ronan looked at Cassandra, something flickering across his face for a brief moment. Howard's roar filled the room. "Cassandra, get out!" Cassandra only gave a cold laugh and walked out without looking back. Her heels struck the marble in sharp, crisp clicks, like she was slapping someone in the face with every step. She had half a month left. She hadn't planned to make things this ugly, but Marissa had insisted on pushing her. In that case, she wasn't going to make it easy for anyone. But she hadn't gotten far before someone came up behind her and clamped a hand over her mouth and nose. Cassandra fought, but her strength drained fast, and everything went black. When she woke up, she realized she had been dumped inside a cold storage room. Above her, she heard a bodyguard's voice. "Mr. Pierce told us to teach you a lesson, so you'd learn to behave. You're not allowed to hurt Ms. Marissa again!" Cassandra froze, then her fingers curled tight. For a burn that barely counted, Ronan was locking her in cold storage? "Let me out!" Cassandra screamed until her throat turned raw, but all she could do was watch the heavy door swing shut. No one responded. Darkness and cold swallowed her whole. She curled into the corner, shaking uncontrollably. Somehow, her heart felt even colder than the cold storage. Before her phone lost signal, one last message came in from Marissa. It was a photo. Ronan was carefully tending to a burn she could barely even see, his face full of worry. The sight stabbed straight into her heart. He could be that gentle with Marissa, yet so ruthless with Cassandra. He even locked her in a cold storage room just to punish her. Cassandra stared at the photo until her eyes burned red. She had told him before that she was afraid of the cold. He had acted indifferent, but he still took off his jacket and draped it over her. She had thought that kind of care belonged to her. Now, she realized she had only been fooling herself. It didn't come close to how he treated Marissa. Cassandra laughed, and tears slid down from the corners of her eyes. By the time she was so cold she could barely feel her body, the door finally opened. Through her blurred vision, a tall figure appeared in front of her. Before she could react, Ronan lifted her into his arms. "Let go!" Cassandra struggled, but he caught her wrist and held it still. He said in a low voice, "It's okay now. I'm here."