Chapter <b>207 </b>
The two brothers rushed over. Alessia stepped aside to make room, but <b>in </b><b>the </b><b>next </b>instant, they surrounded her instead.
“Lessie, are you okay?”
“What happened to your hand?”
Their questions came at her one after another, so quickly that Alessia couldn’t even process them. She nced down at the purplish bruise on her hand–the result of blocking the volleyball Ileana had hurled at her in thest y.
She pointed at Ileana, a little stunned. “She hit me with the ball.”
For some reason, her voice held a hint of wounded innocence, soft and pitiful enough to tug at anyone’s heartstrings.
Ethan gently ruffled her hair <b>and </b>pulled her behind him, shielding her from the others. Liam, meanwhile, examined her injury with careful hands.
“Does it hurt? We should get an X–ray at the hospital, just in case. You might have fractured something.”
Alessia shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt. It’s not that bad.”
“No,” Liam insisted, his tone stern. “We’re going.”
“But-” Alessia protested softly.
Before she could say more, Ileana’s incredulous voice cut through the air. “Ethan–brother-”
She looked at Ethan, eyes wide and desperate, but he cut her off coldly.
“Don’t call me that. I have only one sister, and her name is Alessia.” His words were icy, and though his face was unreadable, there was a trace of disappointment in his eyes as he looked at Ileana.
Growing up, with their parents always busy, Ethan had looked after all the kids, but he’d always had a special soft spot for this little sister. Seventeen years of care, of protecting her, and yet she’d grown up to be so cold and selfish–aplete.
stranger.
“She tried to choke me! Look at my neck-” Ileana pointed at her own throat, her voice trembling with usation.
“Have you looked at my sister’s hand?” Liam interjected sharply. “It’s already
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<b>bruised</b><b>!</b><b>” </b>
“m!” Ileana <b>cried </b>out, her voice cracking<b>, </b>but it only made her <b>start </b><b>coughing </b>uncontrobly.
No one in the gym felt any sympathy; in fact, everyone instinctively took <b>a </b><b>step </b>back, as if afraid to catch something contagious.
<b>“</b>Lessie would never hurt someone without a reason,” Ethan said tly. “Maybe <b>take </b>a good look at yourself and think about what you’ve done.”
With that, he took Alessia away, leaving Ileana standing all alone.
She stood frozen on the spot. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this.
The n had been simple: Lucy would talk to the Morton brothers, and of course they’d have her back, just like always. So why–why were they taking Alessia’s side<b>? </b>What had Alessia done to win them over? Before, no matter what happened, they’d always chosen her.
Why? Why not this time?
Ileana sank to the floor, tears streaming down her face, her chest tight with pain.
It was all Alessia’s fault–everything was because of her! Without Alessia, everything would have been hers: the Morton family, the Tate family, all of it. Alessia… Alessia should just disappear!
She struggled to her feet, but the quiet gym was suddenly filled with the sound of approaching footsteps.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Each step echoed through the empty hall, pounding directly on Ileana’s nerves. She started to tremble.
The footsteps stopped. In the silence, her senses seemed sharper, the air heavier. Slowly, she looked up.
A pair of polished dress shoes came into view.
A man crouched down in front of her, looking down from above.
Ileana’s eyes widened in terror as she realized who he was–Alessia’s ever–present shadow, her loyal follower.
“You… you-”
Before <b>she </b><b>could </b>finish, Cole grabbed her <b>hand</b>, <b>almost </b>speaking <b>to </b>himself
“This one, right? Doesn’t really matter…
Before Ileana could react, Cole’s expression turned cold. In the next second, <b>her </b>hoarse screams echoed through the entire gym.