Third Person's POV
Bianca waved at the man. "Bring in a chair."
Sunny stared intently at the grotesque scar on her face, her stomach churning.
Every expression of this woman filled her with disgust.
"Sunny, you know what? I've been watching you for a long time," Bianca took two steps closer, her eyes as cold as a viper's.
"Freak! Stay away from me!" Sunny glared at her.
"No, I've been watching you because my mom and your mom... used to be 'close friends,'" Bianca said, crossing her arms and smirking maliciously.
Bianca arms crossed, a malicious smile played at the corner of her mouth, "Your mom, that bitch, betrayed my mom. Me coming to you—consider it karma."
Sunny's pupils shrank. She forced herself to stay calm. "Nonsense! I don't believe a word of it."
"Olivia. Back then, she was pregnant with you and working in the same nightclub as my mom..."
"Stop it! Olivia's my neighbor, not my mom! You don't even have the facts straight. How ridiculous!" Sunny trembled, her voice strained.
"Is that so? Or are you the real fool in the dark?" Bianca shrugged. "Abandoned by your birth mother and raised by your half-sister, bounced around like a ball—turns out there's someone more miserable than me."
"Shut up! My mom is Moira. I've nothing to do with Olivia!" Sunny screamed, but unease crept into her heart—Leo had said she didn't resemble Moira. Could it be...
"Haven't you noticed how much you look like Olivia?" Bianca sneered. "Olivia can't claim you because she's been in jail and has a murder on her conscience. How could she dare to be your mother? But secrets have a way of coming out—like mine, like my employer's."
Sunny felt her temples throb and her ears buzz.
Memories flooded back—Olivia's excessive care after returning to the States, the deliberate arrangements for dance and taekwondo lessons...
So that "motherly love" was all make-up?
"No... this isn't true..." she muttered, her voice fading as her heart was torn apart.
Bianca, seeing Sunny's agony, snorted. "You'll never be with Leo again. Your story's over. Your mom's the murderer of his father!"
"No... it's not true! Stop, please stop!" Sunny felt her head would explode, her face drained of color as despair took hold.
Bianca, seeing Sunny on the brink of collapse, left without another word.
"No... you're lying! I'm not Olivia's daughter!" Sunny whispered, tears streaming down her face.
She struggled wildly, the ropes cutting deep into her skin, almost drawing blood, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the inner torment.
She welcomed the physical agony as a distraction.
With a scream, Sunny gave in to her overwhelming fear, despair, and helplessness.
After crying for what felt like an eternity, she felt dizzy and her limbs ached, yet sleep wouldn't come.
Leo followed Blake back to the Royal Packhouse. Once in the living room, he went straight upstairs and locked himself in his bedroom.
Catherine was still awake, waiting for Blake.
He usually came home by eleven, even after overtime, but tonight he returned past midnight, carrying the chill of the night.
She approached him and softly asked, "Why so late?"
Blake gazed at her, tossed his coat onto the sofa, and wordlessly pulled her into his arms.
Catherine was slightly taken aback but soon relaxed, leaning into him with a smile. "Must be tired. Take a shower and get some rest."
"Catherine..."
"Hmm?" His deep voice sent a shiver down her spine.
Blake wanted to tell her about Sunny's kidnapping, to warn her to be cautious and distrustful.
But he couldn't bear to burden her with worry and held back.
Finally, he gently stroked her hair and said softly, "It's okay. Get some sleep. I'll shower."
Catherine sensed his hesitation but didn't press further—if he wanted to share, he would; if not, probing would only corner him.
In bed, sleepiness washed over her.
With Blake's return, her frayed nerves relaxed, and she quickly drifted off.
In her drowsy state, warm hands slipped under the covers and pulled her close.
The familiar scent brought comfort, and she snuggled deeper into his embrace, sleeping soundly.
Blake, however, couldn't sleep. Despite exhaustion, thoughts of his anxious brother kept him sighing.
By the soft glow of the wall lamp, he looked at Catherine, his arm tightening around her. He kissed her forehead before finally succumbing to sleep.
Meanwhile, Leo sat motionless on the sofa, still in his coat, like a statue.
For over an hour, he hadn't moved an inch, his eyes hollow.
The news of Sunny's kidnapping had already shattered him, but the revelation that she was Olivia's biological daughter was the final blow.
He should have noticed—the lack of resemblance to her adoptive mother, the faint traces of Olivia in her features.
No wonder his mother had always been so attentive to Sunny; perhaps she'd seen through it all along.
"Sunny..." Leo clenched his teeth, his heart torn between love and anguish.