Chapter 2

2.

My voice echoed through the living room, leaving everyone stunned.

The fruit knife in Maisie's hand hit the glass coffee table with a loud clatter.

Sophie let out an exaggerated laugh. "Maddie, did you lose your mind just because Adrian complimented Maisie?"

"Or are you hitting menopause early?"

"That's enough!" Adrian snapped, grabbing my wrist.

"Are you insane? She's just a student. Why does she need a whole staff serving her?"

"Maddie, besides spending my money, do you actually do anything?"

I pried his fingers off me and said coldly, "Did you forget? The Sterling Group was given to you by my father."

"These bodyguards are being paid for with my own money."

I pulled out the black card that only I possessed.

Adrian's face turned an ugly shade of pale.

I didn't care about his feelings. I stood up and 'accidentally' bumped my knee against the table.

A sharp, throbbing pain shot through me.

As I let out a soft gasp, I kept my eyes glued to Maisie.

She remained perfectly calm.

There was confusion in her eyes, but not a single hint of pain.

I was right. The pain transfer was a one-way street.

She hurried over to help me up.

"Don't touch me," I said, slapping her hand away.

Adrian's eyebrows shot up in a knot of frustration.

I cut him off before he could speak.

"From now on, Maisie, you don't have to lift a finger. The maids and guards will handle everything."

Maisie quickly grabbed the fruit bowl again, reaching for the knife.

"Maddie, I didn't mean to cut my hand earlier. Please don't kick me out. Give me another chance."

"I told you," I said, gently taking the knife from her. "Go rest."

"Don't overthink it. You're like a sister to my husband, which makes you my sister too. You shouldn't be working in this house."

"Your family worked hard to send you to school. Now that you've made it out of that small town, you should focus on your studies."

Adrian's expression softened visibly.

He even looked at me with a bit of approval. "Now that's more like it."

Rising from a farm boy to the CEO of a listed company was his greatest pride.

He pulled out his phone and went back to work.

Maisie's fingertips turned white as she gripped her apron. She looked at Adrian with watery eyes.

But it was a waste of effort. Adrian didn't even look up.

In that man's eyes, nothing mattered more than his image as a perfect patriarch and a harmonious home.

Late that night, I lay in my king-sized bed, reviewing everything.

Maisie could only transfer pain to me, and it only happened when she was the one getting hurt.

But why? How was this possible?

Knowing twenty people were watching her to prevent any accidents made me feel a bit safer.

Just as I was drifting off, a sharp pain stabbed through my temple.

"Ah!"

I screamed, rolling off the bed onto the floor.

It felt like a power drill was boring into my skull. My vision went black.

"What the hell is wrong with you in the middle of the night?"

Adrian woke up, his voice dripping with annoyance.

He only stopped complaining when he turned on the lamp and saw me twitching on the floor.

"What happened to you?"

A sharp pain shot through my fingers.

Then, a dull, repetitive ache hit my abdomen.

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

Adrian continued impatiently, "If you're going to keep acting like a freak, don't blame me for committing you to a psych ward!"

I forced myself to stand up. My legs were shaking so hard I could barely walk.

I stumbled downstairs and kicked open Maisie's door. I caught a glimpse of a silver needle in her hand before it vanished.

Right before I passed out, I saw her standing by the window with a smirk.

"Stupid girl. You really thought..."