I gasped sharply, the agony so overwhelming that my vision faded to pure white. Not a single soul acknowledged my plight. Gideon was the first to rush to the scene, but his focus was solely on scooping Linnea into his arms. “Are you in pain? Did you injure yourself anywhere? I’ll take you to the hospital.”
He didn’t even glance upwards, as if the pungent odor of charred flesh at his back didn’t register.
Ellis approached me with a frown—not out of concern, but to grip my collar so tightly that I teetered on my toes. “Hazel, you can’t help but wallow in negativity! You’re still as vicious as three years ago! Linnea told us it was you who pressured her into leaving, and she left exhausted. Now that she’s returned, if you dare to harm her again, I won’t hold back!”
Pain coursed through my back, and tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. “I never did that!”
Cassius’s face was so devoid of warmth, it was as if he were a stranger. “Hazel, are you really so desperate for attention that you’d target someone who’s sick? Your tactics are utterly repulsive.”
He looked at me as if I were mere refuse.
The expression in his eyes was something I had never witnessed before—it seemed as if every ounce of his patience had evaporated.
With support, Linnea rose and met his gaze, her voice soft. “Cassius, don’t be angry with her. Maybe she just dislikes me…”
Cassius’s expression darkened. He pulled her closer, his tone soothing as he tried to console her. “You don’t need to be afraid. As long as we care for you, that’s all that matters.”
The waves of pain in my back intensified, leaving me on the verge of collapse.
Through my foggy vision, I discerned three tall figures shielding Linnea as they exited—the light illuminating their profiles with a warm glow.