Chapter 6

Seeing Damian hesitate like he wanted to speak but didn't, Penelope's temper flared. "If you're going to knock your head on the floor, then keep doing it. I didn't say stop, so don't stop." Damian's brows furrowed, and he opened his mouth, but before he could say a word, two small figures came running toward Penelope as they cried. Each clutched a bottle of some unknown liquid, which they hurled at her. "Stupid woman! Don't you dare bully my mom! Don't you dare steal my daddy!" "Sam and I didn't do anything wrong! We're not apologizing! If it weren't for you, the four of us could be together every single day!" Penelope's heart jolted. She didn't even have time to move before Damian stepped in front of her. The liquid splashed across his back instead. Almost instantly, the sharp stench of burning filled the air. Damian reacted fast, yanking off his jacket, but not before the skin on his back was eaten away, leaving raw, corroded wounds. "Doctor! Somebody get a doctor in here!" Jasmine, abandoning her kneeling act, shot to her feet in alarm. "Damian, are you okay? Does it hurt? Let me take you to the ER—" "Penelope, did it get on you?" Damian shoved Jasmine aside without even glancing at her, his attention fixed entirely on making sure Penelope was unharmed. It took the doctor physically dragging him away to get him to leave. When the ward was finally quiet, the blood on Jasmine's forehead had dried. She looked at Penelope, who was disturbingly unsurprised by what had just happened. A smirk tugged at her lips as she gave Penelope a look dripping with false pity. "You think you've won? Penelope, it won't be long before you're begging for death and crying your eyes out." Thinking of the burns on Damian's back, Penelope's hands clenched around the blanket. "That was acid, wasn't it? Jasmine, are you insane? What if it had splashed on the kids?" Jasmine laughed. "Penelope, you'd better start worrying about yourself." With that, she turned and left the ward with the twins. Penelope didn't know what she meant, and she didn't care enough to find out. Three more days, and the paperwork would be finalized. After that, she'd be gone for good. Once his burns were treated, Damian insisted on staying by Penelope's side. The doctor said the acid had been diluted, so the concentration wasn't high. Thankfully, his injuries weren't too severe. "Penelope, I'm sorry. I almost let you get hurt. I can't even imagine what I would've done if that acid had splashed on you instead…" His eyes were bloodshot as he pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her like he was truly terrified of losing her. A dull ache rose in Penelope's chest. Her mind flashed back to that race eight years ago. Damian's car had gone off a cliff, and it had taken the rescue team five hours to find him. When they finally pulled him up, he was covered in blood. The sight of that long metal rod driven through his chest had nearly made her faint. During surgery, the hospital's blood supply had run dangerously low, and chaos had erupted all around her. All she could do was wait outside, frantic and helpless, clinging to one thought—if Damian didn't make it, she would leave this world with him. Now, she reached up and lightly touched the bandaged skin on his back, her voice low and raw. "You don't have anything else you want to say?" About Jasmine and those two children… Damian's body went rigid. "Those kids have hurt you again and again. I'll make sure you get justice." Penelope frowned, ready to tell him that wasn't what she meant, but at the last moment, she changed it to, "Will you really?" Those twins had always been his pride and joy. Would he really do it for her? Was she even that important to him anymore? Without a second's hesitation, Damian replied, "Honey, what are you talking about? Anyone who hurts you, I won't let them get away with it." She gave a bitter smile and shook her head. She didn't want to watch him put on another act. When she said she needed to rest, Damian quickly adjusted the bed so that she could lie down. He remained right there by her side.