Chapter 282

Evelyn Laurent caught a glimpse of the man bending down to pick up a thick wooden stick.

He was sprinting toward her.

She hadn't eaten in two days.

Her legs felt like lead, every step sinking into cotton.

Just as the stick was about to strike her back—

A slender figure suddenly rushed from the side and yanked her away.

The boy turned and took the full force of the blow on his back.

"Ugh!"

A pained grunt exploded in her ear.

The strikes rained down.

But he shielded her with his body, his voice trembling yet firm. "Don't be afraid. I'll protect you."

Exhausted, the man dragged them back to the basement, cursing under his breath.

The boy was beaten to the brink of death.

Little Evelyn crawled over, tears dripping. "Does it hurt, big brother?"

He forced a weak smile. "No. I promise I'll get you out of here, Evelyn."

"There are too many of them. We need a plan..."

Two small figures huddled in the dark corner.

In that lightless dungeon, they were each other's only solace.

Evelyn's eyes snapped open.

She stared blankly at the ceiling.

That wasn't a dream.

It was a real memory she had forgotten.

The phantom pain of the beating still lingered on her back.

But only fragments of the memory had resurfaced.

What had happened after the kidnapping?

She strained to remember, but it was like peering through frosted glass.

Only the boy's face remained vivid—piercingly clear.

Ethan Sullivan.

Ten years ago, he had already shielded her from the storm.

That promise—"I'll protect you"—had been made a decade ago.

Her fingers clenched the sheets, knuckles turning white.

Dawn light crept through the window.

Sleep was impossible now.

She dressed quietly in workout clothes.

A morning run might calm her chaotic thoughts.

As soon as she stepped out of the Lowell mansion, she froze.

A man in black sat motionless on a bench in the cold winter morning.

Evelyn frowned.

She steadied her breathing and continued jogging.

The sound of her footsteps made the man turn his head slowly.