Chapter 7

“Bang!” The front door was kicked open violently, and Lawrence rushed in with a gust of cold wind. His eyes immediately locked onto the tearful Cynthia, and he rushed between the two of them in two strides, pushing Amity away forcefully. “Amity! What are you doing?!” His voice carried suppressed anger. Amity was pushed back unexpectedly, and her head hit the hard corner of the table hard, and warm blood slowly flowed down her neck. “Lawrence…” she whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief. But Lawrence didn't even spare her a glance. All his attention was on Cynthia in his arms, and he frowned in concern when he saw her tearful appearance. “Mr. Rodriguez...” Cynthia suddenly pushed him away forcefully, staggered back, and crossed her arms to protect herself, “We... we should keep our distance from now on... Please stop pursuing me...” She started to run toward the door, her slender shoulders trembling slightly, like a frightened deer. “Stop!” Lawrence grabbed her wrist. “Don't move.” He turned to look at Amity, his gaze cold and terrifying. “Don’t you dare to bully Cynthia again? It seems the previous punishments haven't taught you a lesson.” “Someone, lock Amity in the detention room!” Amity stared in disbelief: “What did you say?” “I said,” Lawrence repeated slowly, his voice devoid of any warmth, “lock her in the detention room.” Amity felt a chill run down her spine, suddenly recalling that rainy night years ago. She had been locked in a dark storage room because her outstanding work had aroused jealousy. She huddled in the corner and shivered due to claustrophobia. It was Lawrence who kicked open the door and carried her out. “Don’t be afraid,” his voice had been uncharacteristically gentle at the time, “I’m here. No one can hurt you.” But now, in the same dark room, it was Lawrence who had pushed her inside. As the bodyguard dragged her toward the detention room, Amity clung desperately to the doorframe: “Lawrence! You know I’m afraid of the dark!” Lawrence paused for a moment, but soon coldly replied, “This time, no one will come to save you.” In the detention room, darkness engulfed Amity like a tidal wave. She curled up in the corner, frantically pounding on the iron door: Let me out! Lawrence! Let me out!" No one responded. Her breathing became more and more rapid, and hallucinations began to appear before her eyes, as if she had returned to that night locked in the storage room. But this time, no one would come to save her. After an unknown amount of time, the door finally opened, and the light was so bright she couldn't open her eyes. “Do you know you're wrong now?” Lawrence stood at the door, his expression indistinguishable in the backlight. Amity staggered to her feet, her voice too hoarse to speak. She walked past him, her eyes vacant like a zombie. In the days that followed, Amity never left the house again. She mechanically packed her luggage, deleting Cynthia’s provocative text messages without even looking at them. There were over a dozen missed calls from Lawrence on her phone, but she didn’t return a single one. Until the hospital called. “Ms. White, your grandmother has suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage. Her condition is critical. Please come to the hospital immediately!” Her fingers went ice-cold, and the phone nearly slipped from her grasp. In the hospital corridor, the pungent smell of disinfectant mingled with the chaotic voices of people. Amity stumbled forward, but froze abruptly at the corner— Lawrence was holding Cynthia, whispering softly, “Don’t be afraid, it’s not your fault.” Cynthia was leaning against him, her eyes red as if she had been crying. “You two…” Amity’s voice trembled, “Why are you here?” Lawrence looked up, furrowing his brow slightly, “Cynthia twisted her ankle, so I brought her to the hospital.” He paused, “I didn't expect to meet your grandma.” " Amity felt a chill run through her body: “What did you two do in front of my grandmother?” “We didn't do anything,” Lawrence said calmly. “She saw me holding Cynthia and might have misunderstood, then getting emotional...” “Misunderstood?” Amity almost laughed out loud. “Lawrence, you two were hugging in front of her, and now you're saying my grandmother misunderstood?” “Amity!” Lawrence frowned. “I’ve found the best doctor. Your grandmother will be fine.” Just then, the lights in the operating room went out. The doctor opened the door, removed his mask, and shook his head solemnly. “I’m sorry, we did our best… The elderly woman passed away peacefully. Her last words were that she hoped you could live a happy and fulfilling life…”