Chloe's heart was pounding, her eyes locked on the man slowly walking into the alley.
"Don't be afraid."
With that, Chloe stepped in front of him, grabbing a nearby brick and holding it tight.
Fortunately, their hiding spot was well-concealed; you wouldn't notice them unless you were looking for them.
But the man drew closer and closer, while the men outside the alley urged him on. "Hurry up! Is anyone there?"
The man sounded annoyed. He turned and yelled back, "I know!"
He then muttered under his breath, "When I get my hands on Jasper Shaw, the first thing I'm gonna do is break his legs. Making us brothers run around in this heat is a real pain in the ass!"
Just then, Chloe felt a bright light wash over them.
Chloe's expression hardened. She tightened her grip on the brick and stayed silent.
THUMP-THUMP—
The sound of footsteps grew closer and closer.
Suddenly, one of the men outside shouted a curse, "Shit, that's the Sinclair family heir's car! Let's go!"
The man in the alley quickly switched off his flashlight and scrambled back the way he came.
Soon, the depths of the alley were plunged into darkness once more.
The injured man could no longer hold back a muffled groan.
Chloe's heart clenched. She quickly said, "I think my older brother is here. Do you have any friends you can call?"
Jasper Shaw nodded, his dark eyes fixed on her.
Chloe, however, quickly pulled a cell phone from her backpack. "Here, call your friends. You're bleeding a lot. You have to get to a hospital."
With that, she turned to leave.
'It's completely dark now. Ethan must have gotten home, seen that Nina was back but I wasn't, and gotten worried. That's why he came out looking for me.'
Worried that Ethan was looking for her, she quickly got to her feet, but not without a final warning for the man on the ground. "Those guys probably won't be back, but stay safe."
A long moment passed, but she received no reply.
Chloe knew Jasper Shaw wasn't a man of many words, that this was just his nature. As she prepared to leave, she suddenly heard his magnetic voice.
"Thank you. My name is Jasper Shaw."
Chloe was stunned. "I... My name is Chloe Sinclair," she said softly.
With that, she shouldered her backpack and hurried out of the alley.
As soon as Chloe left the alley, she spotted a Phaeton parked at the school gate. Ethan Sinclair was out of the car, speaking anxiously with a security guard.
"Ethan!"
Chloe ran toward him, her backpack still on.
Ethan Sinclair heard the familiar voice and turned to see a small figure rushing toward him.
"Chloe, you scared me to death."
Ethan Sinclair swept Chloe into a hug, not realizing his own voice was trembling.
He was already thirty. When Chloe was born, he had already skipped ahead to junior high, and he'd only held his newborn sister once.
His mother, when she was still alive, had taught him that as the eldest brother, he had to protect his younger siblings. That's why he'd blamed himself so much when he learned his sister had been switched at birth.
When Ethan Sinclair found out Chloe wasn't home, he'd driven straight to the school without even stopping to change his shoes.
He had been scanning the streets for her the entire way, his heart growing more frantic the closer he got to the school. When the security guard told him all the students had already left, he'd nearly lost his temper.
Thank god she was here now, safe and sound in front of him.
"Why didn't you come home?"
Chloe heard the reproach in his tone and looked aggrieved. "I thought the driver was coming to get me, but I waited for an hour and he never showed up. I was going to walk to the bus stop to catch a cab, but I got lost and ended up just wandering around the school."
Ethan's brow furrowed as he latched onto the key information in her story. "Come on, let's go home."
With that, he led Chloe to the car.
Chloe hesitated for a second before nodding. "Okay."
'The private hospital isn't far from here,' she thought. 'Someone should come for him soon.' Still, a flicker of worry remained, so she quickly asked Eight.
"Rest assured, Master. Those thugs won't be back."
Chloe finally relaxed, climbing into the passenger seat and buckling her seatbelt.
—
「Kennet Private Hospital」
Jasper Shaw had changed into a loose-fitting hospital gown. His face was still pale, but his jet-black eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, looking as if they could pierce right through you.
"Jasper, can you stop looking at me like that? It's creepy."
Gabriel Dalton stood there in a white lab coat, three pens—red, black, and blue—tucked into his breast pocket.
He had a bright, handsome face and stood over six feet tall. Jasper's constant stare was giving him the creeps.
"Investigate the owner of this phone."
Gabriel Dalton blinked, then shot up from his chair in excitement. He leaned in close to Jasper, his expression full of disbelief. "Holy shit! No way... a pink phone case? Don't tell me you've fallen in love!"
Jasper didn't even glance at him, instead tracing the pink phone case gently with his thumb.
Seeing Jasper's silence, Gabriel dropped the joking tone and became serious. "What happened today? How did the main family know your schedule?"
"Hah..."
A cold glint flashed in Jasper's eyes, and his voice was bone-chillingly cold. "Just a few traitors, that's all."
Hearing this, Gabriel was still uneasy. "Good thing that girl today didn't take you for a bad guy and even lent you her phone. When we find her, you'll have to thank her properly."
Jasper thought of the girl in the alley, and his gaze softened considerably. He didn't argue with Gabriel.
"She does deserve a proper thank you."
—
「The Sinclair Residence」
When Ethan and Chloe got home, Mr. Sinclair was sitting in the living room reading the newspaper. Even though he already knew his daughter was home safe, he couldn't shake the lingering fear.
Seeing Chloe taking off her shoes in the foyer, Mr. Sinclair couldn't hold it in any longer. "As long as you're back."
Chloe felt a pang of guilt and lowered her head. "Dad, I'm sorry."
Hearing his daughter's apology, Mr. Sinclair's heart was a mix of relief and pain. He quickly reassured her, "I'm not blaming you."
He then glanced at his eldest son, their eyes meeting.
"Mrs. Logan, call Nina downstairs. I have something to ask her."
Although Mrs. Logan wasn't sure what was going on, she nodded and went upstairs to knock on Nina Sinclair's door.
Nina Sinclair came down quickly, her expression unnatural. When she saw Ethan, she called out weakly, "Brother."
"Why didn't the driver pick up Chloe today?"
Nina froze, lowering her head as her eyes welled with tears. "I..."
She glanced at Chloe, then, as if steeling herself, said, "Chloe got into a fight at school today and hurt a boy. As her older sister, I felt responsible, so I took him to the hospital. When the driver called, I told him to take my classmate home first. I saw how late it was and figured Chloe could just take the bus home on her own. Dad, Ethan... I'm sorry. I didn't think things through."
"A fight?"
Mr. Sinclair latched onto that word and turned to Chloe. "Are you hurt?"
Chloe shook her head, reassuring them, "I'm not hurt."
Both Mr. Sinclair and Ethan breathed a sigh of relief. Then, Ethan quickly asked, "Are you being bullied at school?"
He knew his sister's personality. While she could be a bit temperamental at home, she would never go looking for trouble outside.
When Chloe didn't answer, he turned his gaze to Nina.
Nina stiffened and quickly lowered her head. "Ethan, no one is bullying her at school. It's just... I really was inconsiderate today. I'm sorry."
The father and son said nothing. Chloe, standing to the side, had no intention of exposing Nina's lies. She just said, "Dad, Ethan, I'm a little tired. I'm going to go upstairs and rest."
Mr. Sinclair saw the exhaustion in his younger daughter's eyes, and his heart went out to her. "Alright. I'll have Mrs. Logan bring you up a glass of milk later."
"Thanks, Dad." Chloe flashed a bright, toothy smile, looking genuinely happy.
Mr. Sinclair's heart skipped a beat. It was the first time his daughter had spoken to him so warmly, and his heart instantly melted.
A flicker of loathing crossed Nina's eyes before she said, "Dad, if there's nothing else, I'll head upstairs too."
"Wait."