Chapter 2

At that moment, a low-key luxury van quietly pulled up at the edge of the crowd. The door opened.

Marcus stepped out gracefully. Cheers erupted from the scene.

"Mary, Russell, don't talk to Alex like that."

When Russell and Mary saw him, they both rushed over.

"Marcus, why did you get out of the car? It's chaotic here, get back inside quickly!" Mary said urgently.

"That's right, you're a huge star now. It's dirty and messy here—what if you get hurt?" Russell stretched out her hand to shield him, not letting anyone get close.

The careful way they protected him stung my eyes.

There was a time when I was protected like that, without hesitation.

When I was cornered by some older bullies in the equipment room,

Mary had grabbed a mop from the corner and charged at them—one against three—shielding me behind her back.

"Don't be afraid. I've got you."

Russell had quietly dealt with all the trouble, even using her family's connections to bankrupt the other family's business and force them to move away. Her father had used family punishment on her, leaving whip scars across her back, but she never mentioned a word of it to me.

The clearer the memories, the more the present reality felt like an absurd nightmare.

Seeing no one paying attention to me,

the fan from before joined forces with several others and suddenly rushed at me, grabbing my hair and slamming me hard to the ground.

"Rip his face off!"

"Murderer, I'm ridding society of evil!"

"He deserves it! Beat him to death! People like this don't deserve to live!"

Five years was enough to teach me how to take a beating.

I instinctively curled up, protecting the back of my head and my heart.

My vision blurred as everything shook. In the corner of my eye, Russell was looking down and saying something to Marcus, her profile showing a gentleness I'd never seen before.

Mary was frowning, glancing toward me with disgust.

Marcus seemed to have just noticed the violence happening here. He cried out:

"Stop!"

He held back several fans and reached out to help me up.

"Alex, are you okay?"

But he squeezed my fractured wrist hard.

I groaned in pain.

He jerked his hand back as if startled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I just wanted to help you up."

Mary lifted her foot and kicked hard at my side.

I rolled half a turn across the ground from the force, my vision going black.

"How long are you going to keep hurting Marcus?"

She crouched down and grabbed a fistful of my hair.

"Act! Keep acting! Marcus barely touched you and you look like you're dying."

"Are you trying to pull the same trick again? Just like when you stole credit for saving me all those years ago, using this victim act to frame him and destroy the reputation and career he worked so hard for?"

"Let me tell you, Alex—Marcus is kind-hearted and worries about these baseless rumors, but I won't!"

My scalp felt like it was being torn apart.

"If you dare use those despicable tactics on Marcus again, that mental institution held you for five years, but it can hold you for life! You better remember that clearly!"

"Enough!"

Russell grabbed Mary's wrist.

"Alex is still your brother, after all."

"Brother? Does he deserve that title?"

My sister violently shook off Russell's hand.

"From the moment he abandoned me in that ravine to save himself, running away without looking back, Mary's only brother has been Marcus."