Chapter 337

He’d assumed she was his father’s illegitimate daughter and tried to teach her a lesson. She broke his leg and locked him in a dark room for three days with no food.

She always wore a mask back then. He never won a single fight, bet, or game against her.

She forced him to get clean, which was a line he refused to cross.

So she tied him to a tree and left him in the sun for three days until he was on the verge of dying from thirst.

Then she kicked him into a river.

It was on that riverbank that he finally ripped off her mask and saw her face for the first time. He was frozen.

Her eyes were ice cold. “Breathing the same air as you makes me sick.”

He knew she was disgusted by his addiction. After that, he grit his teeth and got clean. His days became about learning from her, being her aide, introducing her to the family’s network—yet her eyes only ever held that cool indifference she showed to strangers, never the warmth he craved.

He’d never finished a book in his life, but he sat quietly by her side, absorbing everything.

After she took control of the Noir family, he was lucky to see her once every few months.

Thinking back on it all, Thom had spent countless nights with tears tracing paths down his cheeks, clutching an old photo from seven or eight years ago, taken when he’d accompanied her to a gala.

He knew she didn’t love him, but he couldn’t let go. A life without her wasn’t a life at all.

“Thor, you useless fool!” Victor roared. “Wasting your time on feelings when she clearly doesn’t give a damn about you. You think we’ve been sitting around doing nothing? By now, I bet Eleanor has already gotten us the leverage we need against Hazel.”

“What did you say?” Thorn spun around.

Victor’s lips curved into a triumphant smile. “Ever heard of the Umbrella Organization? No wonder she’s always one step ahead. The Raymonds have a partnership with them, and Eleanor sent someone in to steal their core secrets. You can imagine what happens if that information gets out.”

“You!” Thor’s face went dark, his hands trembling with rage.

“Everything we’re doing, Thom,” Victor said, his tone infuriatingly calm, “it’s for you.”

Thorn shoved him aside and bolted out the door.

He’d known for a while that Hazel was behind the Umbrella Organization, but he never imagined they would target it.

All calls went straight to voicemail. He kept trying, his panic rising. Finally, halfway down the road, she picked up.

“Speak,” Sienna demanded.

“Where are you?” Thorn said, out of breath. “Listen, Eleanor Yeast is coming after you. She sent someone to steal secrets from the Umbrella Organization, you have to warn your people.”

Suddenly, Winifred Hart appeared out of nowhere, tackling him hard and sending him sprawling several feet onto the grass just as a car sped past where he’d been standing.

Thorn scrambled up, heart pounding with the adrenaline of a near-death experience. He looked at his savior, who was dressed in tactical gear, with only her eyes visible. He could tell from her build it was a girl.

“Thank you, ….”

Before Thorn could finish, Winifred walked over, picked up his fallen phone, and after a few quick taps on the screen, tossed it back to him. Then she was gone, disappearing as quickly as she’d arrived.

Thorn looked at his screen. A notification showed a transfer of three million dollars.

He was speechless. For some reason, she seemed familiar.