I Confronted His Dad, He Gave Me An Island

Chapter 4

Quentin screamed in pain and let go, as fresh blood immediately began to well up and flow from his hand.

Miranda took advantage of the moment to scramble up, unlock the door, and stumble out into the corridor.

Barefoot, she ran desperately down the stairs, with only one thought in her mind.

She had to run.

She had to get away from here.

She dared not look at anyone she passed. With every step, the pain radiating from the bruises and wounds covering her body made her vision blur and darken.

By the time Miranda finally managed to get back to her own apartment, she had reached her limit and collapsed onto the carpet in the living room.

It took her a long time to recover enough strength to slowly pull herself up and find the first-aid kit.

She bit down hard on a towel to muffle any sound, and began applying medicine to the injuries all over her body. Every touch against her skin sent agony shooting through her; the pain was so deep it felt as though it was piercing right into her bones, and cold beads of sweat broke out across her forehead.

Her mind drifted back to a snowy winter's night when she was studying in France. She had twisted her ankle while wearing high heels and had sat alone on the side of the road, helpless.

That was when Cedric had appeared before her like an angel descending from the sky.

Without saying a word, he had lifted her onto his back and carried her all the way home, step by step, through the snow-covered streets.

His back had felt so broad and safe, and his voice had been filled with such genuine concern as he asked, "Does it hurt? You aren't allowed to wear shoes this high again."

Back then, his distress and affection for her had been real. Yet now, every single wound on her body was a gift from him.

Silent tears rolled down her cheeks and fell onto the tiled floor, leaving tiny wet spots that quickly dried away.

It turned out that when love dies between two people, they can become so hateful and unrecognizable to each other.

Suddenly, two men forced their way into the apartment. Before she could even scream or move, they struck her hard, knocking her unconscious.

When she regained her senses, a thick black cloth was tied tightly over her eyes, and her hands were bound together behind her back with coarse rope.

She had been kidn*pped!

She heard the sharp whistle of something cutting through the air, followed immediately by a stinging, burning pain across her left cheek. An arrow grazed her skin and struck the ground right next to her.

Blood began to drip steadily from the fresh cut on her face.

Miranda let out a stifled groan, and cold sweat instantly broke out all over her back.

She quickly tore the blindfold off and realized she was standing in the center of an outdoor archery range.

"Hahaha! Miranda, why didn't you dodge that?!" Paige’s playful voice rang out from nearby, laced with undisguised malice and triumph.

Miranda looked up against the bright light and saw Cedric standing on the high platform, holding Paige close in his arms. In Paige’s own hands was a finely crafted bow.

Paige was deeply passionate about archery, so Cedric had personally designed this very bow and given it to her as a gift.

Every carved pattern etched into the wood had been polished by Cedric’s own hands.

Back then, he had held the bow out to her and made a vow, "Miranda, if one day I ever betray you, you must use this bow to shoot an arrow straight through my heart."

But today, that same bow was aimed directly at her.

"Cedric, darling, can I really use my own sister as a living target?" Paige asked, sounding sweet and spoiled.

Cedric pinched the tip of her nose affectionately, his voice low and indulgent as he said, "Just don't cause any real damage. You may do whatever brings you joy."

As soon as the words left his mouth, another arrow sliced through the air toward her.

Miranda threw herself onto the ground and rolled frantically, barely managing to avoid being hit.

Her heart felt as though it was being pierced over and over again by those arrows, leaving her in so much pain she could barely breathe.

She had never imagined that he would actually treat her like a toy to amuse Paige, or that he would hand over her life to someone else so casually and carelessly.

If he held her life in such low regard, why did he pretend to love her so deeply in the beginning?

He made her believe in him, made her fall in love, only to push her brutally straight into hell.

And Paige, her own younger sister, actually wanted her dead.

Instinct for survival took over. She lunged forward, grabbed the arrow that had landed nearby, and, enduring the agony wracking her body, used its blood-stained tip to saw frantically at the thick ropes binding her wrists.

Whoosh!

Miranda wasn't fast enough to dodge this time. A sharp, burning pain shot through her leg.

An arrow was embedded deep into her left thigh, and the metallic scent of blood began to fill the air around her.

Cedric’s expression changed instantly. He reached out and stopped Paige. "We agreed we would only scare her. You went too far!"

"I didn't do it on purpose! It's too dark out here. I couldn't aim properly!" Paige retorted coldly, then added sharply, "if you are feeling sorry for her, fine. You don't have to stand here and let this slide. Why don't you go and save her yourself?"

While Cedric stood there frowning, Paige swiftly notched another arrow, drew the bowstring back, and aimed this time directly at Miranda’s head.

"Miranda, here I come again! Let's see if you can dodge this one!"