Chapter 122: Nothing Left to Hold On To
Paul fell silent. After a few seconds, he said, โDonโt you think this is unfair to Yunice?โ
Owen didnโt respond at first; the question hung in the air. But a moment later, he clenched his fists and muttered through gritted teeth, โI donโt have a choice. If Yunny marries Wyatt, and my dad could see it from the afterlife, heโd blame me.โ
Paul let out a sharp, mocking laugh. โBoth of them are the same kind of worthless; and youโre seriously trying to compare them?โ
So marrying Wyatt properly isnโt good enough, but getting tied to Morgan, the walking scandal, is finer?
Owen had no comeback. He just clenched his fists tighter, the pain from his injured hand still sharp. That moment when Wyatt stood up for YuniceโOwen couldnโt forget it. If Yunice had been all bark and no bite, Wyatt was the one who lit a fire under her.
โI canโt afford to let the Saunders family gain another enemy,โ Owen murmured. So he had to cut off her wings.
The sound he thought heโd heard earlier still nagged at him; not wanting to risk a mistake, Owen said, โStay here. Iโm going to check outside.โ
Paul didnโt argue. Meanwhile, Yunice had already heard most of their conversation from the other side of the window. Tears slid down her cheeks, collecting at her chin before falling.
Yunice forced a bitter smile and looked up at the overcast sky. The dark clouds hung like a giant burial shroud, wrapping everything in gloom. It was like a bucket of freezing water poured over a burning fire in the dead of winterโher heart, once soaring, now plummeted into despair.
Sheโd thought Owen was still her brother; sheโd thought Paul had once been a true friend. She believed that even if they looked down on her, theyโd still offer a hand in her darkest hour. Who wouldโve thoughtโthey were the ones who shoved the knife inโฆ
And like a fool, she had actually tried to call out to them for help. The wind whipped between the buildings, sweeping the tears right off her face. The salty streaks dried stiffly on her skin. Yunice finally looked up again at the ventilation window.
They all wanted to crush her and humiliate her; all the more reason she had to fight backโhead held high. She moved slowly, turning her body so she now faced the wall instead of leaning against it.
Standing on her toes, she reached up for the window ledge. Still just a few inches short. Looking down, there was nothing but a deadly drop beneath her; above, nowhere to push off from. Despair surged upโonly to be buried beneath rising fury.
If she had to die, even if she had to go to hell, sheโd still climb up there. Sheโd stand right in front of Owen and watch him try to explain himself.
Yunice gritted her teeth and leapt upward, managing to catch the edge of the window with her fingertips despite the gap.
But she had used up too much strength already. By the time half her body was wedged inside the vent, she was on the verge of collapse. Her leg slammed into the wall with a jarring thud; she couldnโt haul herself in.
Footsteps echoed outside the bathroom. A doorknob clicked. Paul stepped inโand froze when his eyes locked with Yuniceโs. She was hanging upside down, half her body inside the ventilation window. Paul stood there, stunned.
He probably couldnโt have imagined in a million years that Yunice would show up in a place like this. Just as he moved forward, he paused; something clicked in his head. His expression darkened. โYou were out there this whole time?โ
He realized nowโthose sounds heโd heard earlier had been Yunice trying to get their attention. Which meant sheโd also heard everything he and Owen had said. Paul eyed her cautiously; sure enough, her eyes were bloodshot, blazing with fury. His impulse to help her vanished. And then footsteps sounded again outside. Owenโs voice rang out before he even arrived. โSomethingโs wrongโYunice isnโt in the room. Sheโs vanishedโโ
He cut off mid-sentence. The second he reached the bathroom, he spotted Yunice dangling from the vent. His expression was even more shocked than Paulโs. He flinched back, practically jumping, and slammed into the frosted glass door with a loud bang.
It took him three seconds to recover. He met Paulโs eyes, then, without thinking, lunged forward to grab Yunice and pull herโ
Just then, Paul said sharply, โOwen!โ
Owen turned and glared. โWhat are you stopping me for! Sheโs outside a skyscraperโwhat if she falls?โ
Paul gave him a look of exasperation. He lowered his voice. โShe heard everything we said.โ
Boom. Owen felt like he had been hit by a ton of bricks.