"I told you to obey me! I told you to stay away from those beasts! You"re just like your worthless father! Betrayal runs in your blood!" she screamed, lashing me with the cane and her venomous words simultaneously. The cane whistled through the air, landing on my arms, back, and legs, leaving fiery red welts. I curled into a ball, enduring the familiar pain, gritting my teeth to keep from crying out. But worse than the physical pain was the utter despair born from her profound hatred for Luke. After her outburst, she seemed to calm slightly, but her eyes remained cold as daggers. She threw the cane down, pressed her foot onto my wrist, and leaned close to my ear. Her voice was a sinister whisper, dripping with menace from the pit of hell itself: "Listen, Amelia, this is my final warning. C
