After half a month of recovery, Cassidy finally looked like a human being again. Her complexion had improved, and the dark, bruised rings around her neck and the bloodshot patches in her eyes had mostly faded.

Romeo scrutinized her and gave an approving nod. "You’re heading back this afternoon."

"Got it."

"Don't go making a scene. Tread carefully!"

Cassidy furrowed her brows, her expression etched with impatience. "I know!"

Romeo looked down at her with a look of utter disdain. "Hah! Fine. Good luck, then."

For the past two weeks, she had been confined to this single room. She was kept under constant watch; peering through the window, she could see nothing but an unremarkable industrial warehouse. Yet, Cassidy knew this place wasn't as simple as it looked.

Romeo squinted, suspiciously observing her as she stared off into space. "What are you thinking about?"

"Maybe you should just move into my head!"

"Still got a mouth on you, you noisy mutt. Don't you forget who’s holding the other end of your leash!"

Romeo let out a cold scoff and strode out of the room.

That afternoon, several hulking men blindfolded her with a black strip of cloth and hustled her out. They didn't remove the blindfold until they reached their destination.

"An airport?"

"Where else, princess?" one of the men retorted, his tone dripping with annoyance.

"I thought I was going back the same way I came."

The man rolled his eyes, utterly speechless. "You’ve got a vivid imagination. You think you own air traffic control? You can’t just fly whenever you feel like it."

Cassidy bit her tongue, silenced.

"Enough, quit stalling. Take the documents we prepared for you. Everything’s already been cleared, so don't go getting nervous."

Just like that, Cassidy escaped her nightmare.

When her plane landed, it was already dusk. She stood in the airport, staring at the bustling crowds, feeling completely lost. Kyoto was vast, yet there was no place left for her to stand. She had no luggage, only herself, drifting aimlessly.

The autumn wind chilled her to the bone. The seasons turned, everything felt the same, yet everything had changed. The once-celebrated second daughter of the Montgomery family was now nothing more than a pathetic street rat.

She found a shop she would have once turned her nose up at and bought two sets of casual clothes.

"How much?"

"Four hundred and eighty dollars."

Cassidy clutched the travel money the prison had given her—exactly five hundred dollars.

*Hah. How benevolent.*

She handed the crumpled bills to the clerk. With the remaining twenty, she bought a baseball cap. It was the first time she’d ever bargained for anything.

She pulled the cap low. Now, she was just another face in the crowd, someone no one would glance at twice. Cassidy caught her reflection in a window; her eyes burned with nothing but cold, jagged hatred.

Other matters could wait. The only thing she desperately craved right now was to see her son.

It was rush hour. She hailed several taxis, but they were all taken. A bitter, acidic sensation rose in her chest, and she tilted her head back to keep the tears from falling.

"Miss, are you alright?"

A woman’s voice drifted over, thick with genuine concern.

Cassidy forced a tight smile. "I'm fine. Just... homesick."

"Oh, dear. It’s never easy for young people out here trying to make a living. Don't cry, honey."

It had been a throwaway lie, but the woman’s voice reminded her so much of her mother that she truly did feel homesick. She’d almost forgotten: the Montgomery estate was no longer her home.

Without a ride, she was stranded. With no other choice, she checked into a cheap motel. She stared at the forged identity papers in her hand; the girl in the photo actually bore a slight resemblance to her. A terrifying idea flickered in her mind.

That night, she had fragmented, beautiful dreams—sweet enough that even the broken pieces gave her a surge of morbid hope.

She woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. She curled her lips into a determined smirk. "Cassidy, push harder. Everything will go exactly the way you want it to."

Her monologue ended in a chilling, guttural cackle.

Two days later, she realized just how pathetic her plans were. Evangeline Montgomery was now a cloud floating in the stratosphere—impossible to touch, let alone target.

Dejected, she returned to lurk near the Harrison residence, hoping to catch a glimpse of her son. A security guard noticed her and stomped over, impatient. "What are you doing here again?"

"I'm not going in. I’m just waiting out here."

The guard rolled his eyes with utter contempt. "Trying to land a wealthy husband? Take a look at yourself—you’re so scrawny I wouldn’t even look at you, let alone the high-society types who live here."

"You boot-licking guard dog!"

As the insult left her lips, the guard’s sneer froze. He grabbed her by the arm and tossed her straight into a nearby hedge.

"Get lost! You aren't allowed here!"

Cassidy groaned as she hauled herself up, ignoring the pain. Her eyes locked onto the familiar face inside a car that had just whizzed past.

"Jonah! Jonah!"

She scrambled into her car, slammed her foot on the gas, and kept her eyes glued to the sedan’s path.

For the past two weeks, Jonah had been dropping off and picking up his son, Owen, with clockwork precision. The pair’s interactions seemed unchanged on the surface, but something was subtly thawing between them.

"Goodbye, Dad."

"Goodbye."

Jonah reached out, his hand hesitating in mid-air. Just as he started to pull back in embarrassment, Owen leaned in and nuzzled his palm against Jonah's hand.

Watching his son dash away, Jonah felt a cocktail of complex emotions. A grown man, and yet he was less composed than a child.

Hidden in the shadows, Cassidy watched the boy run out of the car, tears of excitement streaming down her face. "My child... my baby..."

This was a prestigious private school. Dressed as she was, and behaving so suspiciously, she was far too conspicuous. A plump woman grabbed her by the collar from behind.

"Whose maid are you?"

"I..."

Seeing her stutter, the woman frowned even deeper. The children here came from some of the most prominent families in Kyoto. There had been kidnapping and extortion attempts before. Cassidy’s current appearance was truly suspicious.

"Can't say? Then I’m calling the police!"

Panic flared in Cassidy’s chest. Her identity was fake; if the police got involved, she’d be exposed instantly. Summoning strength from nowhere, she wrenched herself free and bolted.

"Stop! Catch that kidnapper!"

The commotion drew everyone’s attention—including Jonah’s. Though her style and aura had changed, he recognized her instantly.

Ahead, a man swung a foot out, tripping her. Cassidy flew forward, skidding two meters across the pavement. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself up, refusing to look back. Her eyes burned with stubborn tears. *Jonah... he’s right behind me. He can’t see me like this!*

She scrambled to find her hat, which had fallen off. The crowd, previously shouting about "kidnappers," went silent as they caught sight of her frail, pale face. A kind bystander picked up the hat and handed it to her.

"Here."

Cassidy snatched it back, jammed it onto her head, and bit back a groan of pain as she hurried away. Jonah sat in his car, watching the scene with cold, detached eyes, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.

Back at the motel, Cassidy stared at her reflection. Her pants were ripped, and her palms, which had just healed, were freshly torn. The thought that Jonah might have seen her in such a humiliating state drove her to the brink of insanity.

"Agh!"

Everything on the bathroom counter crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces. She gripped the mirror with both hands, staring at her own hysterical face.

"What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do all alone?!"

She had overestimated herself. A woman at the end of her rope, dreaming of dragging others into the abyss with her—it was a sick joke.

*Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.*

She grabbed the vibrating phone, her voice dripping with venom. "What?"

"In a bad mood?" the man on the other end teased.

"I can't even get near them."

"Hah. Five years in the slammer and it’s clearly rotted your brain. I expected better of you."

*Beep. Beep. Beep.* The line went dead.

"Hello? Hello?! Agh!"

Cassidy hurled the phone at the mirror. The glass shattered instantly. Every jagged fragment reflected a piece of her distorted, venomous face.

She was like a vermin that couldn't handle the light, fated to rot in the gutter. Her capabilities couldn't sustain her monumental hatred. Like a dam breaking under the weight of ants, she slumped down and let out a broken, wailing sob.

To Romeo, she was nothing but a stink bomb used to annoy the enemy—useful only for being a nuisance. No one was going to help her.

Living like this was worse than death.

She stared at the shards of glass on the floor, mesmerized. With a cold, detached motion, she picked one up.

"Will it stop hurting if I die?"

As she whispered the words, she drove the sharp glass into her skin. The sudden, piercing pain sent a jolt of perverse excitement through her. The sight of blood welling up felt intoxicating.

*CRASH.*

The door was kicked open, followed by a piercing scream.

"Get an ambulance! Now!"

Before Cassidy slipped into darkness, the last thing she heard was the motel owner’s furious, screeching voice.

When she finally woke up, she was in a hospital bed. She curled her lips into a self-deprecating sneer.

"Am I so unforgivably wretched that even death is off the table?"

"Death? If you want to die, you damn well better do it somewhere else! If you died in my motel, how am I supposed to run my business? You’re ruining me! Do you hear me?"

The furious roar made her head throb. Just as she went to reach for her forehead, a sharp, icy voice cut the owner off.

"Listen, lady, can you keep it down? You’re giving me a migraine."

The owner, who had been red-faced and screaming just a moment ago, suddenly looked as if she might cry. "You’re so young... what could possibly be so bad that you’d want to throw your life away? It’s terrifying!"

Cassidy caught a flicker of genuine pity buried beneath the anger. She gave a bitter, hollow laugh. "I’ll pay for the damages to the room. Don't worry."

"It’s not about the money! Your phone is busted—do you need me to call your family?"

"...I don't have any family."