<b>Chapter </b><b>446 </b>
Rachel gripped her clothes tighter, refusing to let her mind go there.
<b>‘</b>Aria is Lily’s sister, not mine<b>,</b>‘ she told herself.
Ondo’s eyes turned cold. “Aria, quit trying to sow discord. That was never our intention!”
Aria arched a brow, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Oh? Then what exactly was your grand n? Do enlighten me.”
“It’s none of your business,” Ondo snapped. “Rachel isn’t your sister. She’s Silvia’s sister.”
Silvia? That name sounded familiar to Rachel.
Rachel’s mind reeled in confusion. ‘Do, do I really have a family? Is Silvia my sister?‘
Owen shot Ondo an annoyed took and snapped, “Show some respect, Mr. Gagher. Of all people, you’re thest one who should be saying that after all, you hid someone’s true identity for your own selfish reasons.”
Aria looked at Rachel. Finally, she knew why the girl seemed so familiar.
Valerie, unaware of the tension between them, turned her attention to Rachel. “Can you stand up? Are you hurt anywhere? Do you need to go to the hospital for a check–up?”
Lily quickly helped Rachel to her feet.
Rachel looked at Ondo, her voice trembling slightly. “So my name is Pearl? Not ‘little vixen‘, right?”
“Little vixen?” Ondo frowned, clearly confused. “What are you talking about?”
Rachel gave a cold, hollow smile as she removed her mask. “Ondo, do you know how my face was ruined?<b>” </b>
A wave of dread washed over Ondo. “Wasn’t it just an ident? A burn?”
“No!” Hatred shed in Rachel’s eyes. “Olivia did this to me–with her own hands!”
The worst that could happen was death. She couldn’t take it anymore.
“Olivia pped me,” Rachel spat out. “You said, ‘What a shame to <b>ruin </b>such a pretty face.‘ Russell stared at me for so long that Olivia thought I <b>was </b>seducing him. That same night, she destroyed my face and renamed me ‘little vixen.”
Ondo’s pupils constricted violently. “Wh–what did you just say?”
Rachel shrugged off her school jacket, revealing arms crisscrossed with scars to the stunned crowd.
She demanded, her voice trembling, “She’s been abusing me all along. How could none of you see it?”
Ondo knew Rachel feared Olivia, but in his mind, every maid who served Olivia dreaded her. He’d always thought Rachel’s fear was nothing out of the
ordinary.
It wasn’t until he came to Huthailia that he noticed some troubling signs, but Cole Group affairs consumed his attention.
Had he been even slightly more attentive, he might have uncovered the truth sooner.
Ondo choked up. “Rachel, I’m so sorry.”
When Lily saw the wounds on Rachel’s body, she broke down in tears, clutching Aria’s hand so tightly her fingers trembled<b>, </b>unable to calm herself.
<b>10:43 </b><b>Mon</b>, 23 <b>Jun </b>G
‘How lucky I was to have met Aria,‘ she thought, her heart aching, ‘but Rachel was nearly driven to her death.
Rachel fought back tears, clutching Ondo’s hand. “I don’t want to go back to Masmubia, to the Wolfshade Syndicate, or anywhere <b>new </b>Curls cluindo, please! Can you help me?“.
<b>She </b>knew if she didn’t return, Olivia would hunt her down without mercy.
Once you were part of the Wolfshade Syndicate, you were bound to it in life and in death. There was no escaping that fate.
Ondo hesitated for a long moment before finally saying, his voice low and resolute, “I’ll figure something out. I promise I won’t let Olivia Harm <b>your </b>again.”
Rachel, her voice trembling, asked, “So, do I still have to go back?”
Ondo shook his head firmly. “No, you’re not going back. I’ll talk to Russell and make sure this is taken care of I promise, I won’t let Olivia keep <b>you </b><b>bJ </b>her side ever again.”
Rachel emphasized fiercely, “I refuse to go back to Masmubia! I’m staying here for good–this is where I’ll live and die!”
“Alright. I promise you,” Ondo finally conceded after a pause.
Tears welled up in Rachel’s eyes as she choked out, “Did my parents give me my name? Is myst name Saxon? Is ‘Pearl‘ just a nickname?”
Ondo instinctively nced at Aria, and Rachel followed his gaze.
“Aria gave you your name,” he said.
AD