Before Alannah could even react, Pearl screamed dramatically and threw herself into Quincy’s arms.
“Quincy, I just wanted her to taste the soup I made!” she cried.
“Where’s the doctor? Call the doctor now!” Quincy barked, panic flashing in his eyes as he shouted for his personal assistant.
Blisters were already forming on Alannah’s burned hand, yet Quincy didn’t spare her a glance.
Instead, he held Pearl carefully, tending to the faint red mark on her skin while scolding Alannah.
“Pearl was being kind! Why would you deliberately throw soup at her?”
“I didn’t—” Alannah began.
But Pearl cut her off, speaking through sobs. “I’m sure she didn’t mean it…”
Watching that pitiful and fake expression, Alannah felt a wave of nausea rise in her throat.
She let out a cold laugh. “Drop the act. It’s disgusting.”
She hadn’t walked far from the villa when a hand clamped over her mouth and nose from behind.
Her vision instantly went black.
When she woke up, she found herself in a damp and dark basement.
Above her, a familiar, cold voice echoed—Quincy’s.
“You hurt Pearl. You need to be punished.”
Alannah froze, her fingers trembling.
‘Punished? Just because Pearl got splashed by accident?’