Chapter 6

Willow POV

Quinn screamed. Before she could react, my fists and slaps were already raining down on her.

"Psycho! Help! Daniel, save me!" Quinn had no ability to fight back-she could only shield her head and shriek.

The nearby servants were all stunned. No one dared step forward.

Just then, Daniel returned.

The moment he entered, he saw me pinning Quinn to the ground and beating her savagely.

"Willow! Stop it!" He rushed forward and forcefully pulled me off, immediately pulling Quinn protectively into his arms.

I was yanked by his tremendous force, stumbling backward. Losing my balance, I fell heavily to the ground, my forehead striking the hard corner of the coffee table.

Warm blood instantly gushed out, blurring my vision.

I saw Daniel staring at the blood streaming down my forehead, his pupils contracting sharply. He instinctively loosened his arm around Quinn and took half a step forward.

Words of concern almost escaped his lips.

"Daniel... it hurts... She went crazy and attacked me the moment she came back..." Quinn's aggrieved crying came at just the right moment.

Daniel's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, then withdrew.

He held Quinn, looked at me with blood flowing from my temple, his tone carrying habitual accusation and favoritism. "Willow! What are you going crazy about now!"

I wiped the blood flowing to my eyelid roughly with the back of my hand. "Buddy is dead. She personally beat him to death with a bat."

"You're lying! I didn't! Daniel, how could I do such a thing..." Quinn cried even more pitifully, her whole body trembling.

Daniel frowned, looking at me, his tone impatient. "Quinn is kind-hearted. She's not that kind of person. Don't slander her."

He paused, then added: "Besides, it's just an animal. It died-that's all. Is it worth making such a huge fuss and attacking someone?!"

Hearing him speak so dismissively about Buddy's death, wave after wave of pain stabbed through my heart.

I remembered that when we first found Buddy years ago, Daniel had also patiently fed him, played with him, smiling and saying we were family.

But now, those shared warm memories, along with Buddy's life, were as cheap as grass in his heart.

The last weak connection had also broken. I suddenly felt that any argument was utterly meaningless.

Exhausted, I stood up and turned to go upstairs.

But Daniel blocked my way. "Apologize to Quinn."

My footsteps didn't pause. "Dream on!"

As if thoroughly enraged by my attitude, he grabbed my wrist. "If you won't apologize, then let Quinn hit you back."

I jerked my head up, staring at him in disbelief. "Daniel! You dare let her lay a hand on me-just try it!"

But Daniel turned a deaf ear to my warning. His eyes immediately signaled to the security personnel behind him.

The bodyguards rushed forward, grabbing my arms from left and right, pinning me firmly in place.

Daniel looked at me struggling continuously. His Adam's apple rolled once. Finally, he just looked away, his jawline tense, and said in a low voice to Quinn: "Do it!"

With that permission, Quinn dropped all pretense of pity from her face.

She raised her arm and slapped my face hard.

Crack!

A sharp sound exploded in the living room.

My face was knocked to the side. Half my cheek immediately swelled with a bright red handprint, burning painfully.

I jerked my head back, my dark eyes boring into Quinn's face.

Quinn raised her hand again.

Crack!

An even harder blow. I felt my lip split, blood seeping out.

Quinn's expression was extremely satisfied. Looking at my wretched state, she lifted her foot, and the sharp heel kicked viciously at my shin bone.

The piercing pain made my knees buckle. If the bodyguards weren't still gripping me tightly, I would have collapsed on the spot.

Throughout it all, Daniel watched coldly-watched me take the beating in his hands, watched my face swell, my lip split, watched me curl up in pain but still keep my spine straight.

I saw his brow furrow tightly.

"Enough." When Quinn seemed about to kick again, Daniel finally spoke to stop her.

The bodyguards released me.

My legs gave out. I collapsed to the floor, my body trembling violently.

Daniel looked down at me, his voice cold. "Now we are even. Remember this. Do not touch Quinn."

Having said that, he stopped looking at me. He turned and put his arm around Quinn's waist, his voice softening. "Are you feeling better now? Let's go upstairs."

Quinn leaned softly against him and answered sweetly. Before leaving, she did not forget to give me, still collapsed on the floor, the unmistakable look of a victor.

In the living room, only I remained, curled up on the ground.

My face swollen, my lip split, the spot on my shin kicked so hard the bone felt broken.

But none of this compared to the pain of having a piece of my heart carved out alive.

I suddenly remembered many years ago, when I first came to this world. I was cornered in an alley by thugs.

It was a boy in a wheelchair, with a useless leg, who dragged himself in front of me. He used all his strength to shield me, shouting, "Don't you dare touch her!"

But now, the one who let another woman slap me across the face was also him.

I began to laugh quietly, a hoarse sound. It echoed in the empty living room, uglier than crying.

I wiped the blood from my lip roughly with the back of my hand. Then, supporting my body which felt ready to fall apart, I slowly pushed myself up from the floor.

Right on time, that cold mechanical voice sounded in my mind:

"Three days remaining until departure from this world."