“May!” Charles said with a smile. “Did you see us push Gigi down the stairs just now? Now you should believe how much more important you are to us. Stop throwing tantrums and come home, okay?”
Margot’s eyes flew open at his words and despite the agony, her gaze filled with disbelief and shock.
Had they hurt her so cruelly just to prove to the runaway Maisie that she mattered more?
On the other end of the video, Maisie was already sobbing with emotion, tears streaming down her face.
“I know you do, Charles. I won’t act out anymore. I’ll come home right away.”
At her response, both men exhaled deeply, their relief palpable.
After ending the call, the two men hurried downstairs.
“Does it hurt, Gigi?” Charles asked, his tone almost perfunctory.
“May said she felt insecure and needed us to prove it to her this way. We had no choice. She’s just a young girl who ran off in a fit of anger. We couldn’t let her wander outside alone.
“You’ll have to bear this for now—we’ll make it up to you later.”
Margot was in so much pain that she couldn’t speak.
Seeing her pale and trembling, the two men began to panic.
Just as they were about to take her to the hospital, Maisie’s delicate, tearful voice came through another phone call.
“I’m such a fool, Joey. I can’t even find my way home,” she whimpered.
At her words, both men tensed.
Without hesitation, they ended the call and prepared to leave to fetch her.
But as they reached the door, they glanced back at Margot, who was still sprawled on the floor, blood seeping from her wounds.
“Gigi,” Joey began, his tone almost dismissive.
“Maisie’s lost, and we’re worried she might run into trouble. You’ll have to get yourself to the hospital.”
And just like that, they abandoned her without a second thought.
Margot could only watch as their figures disappeared into the distance, leaving her behind in agonizing pain.
Using the last ounce of her strength, she struggled to call for an ambulance.
Blood continued to seep from the gash at the back of her head, soaking the fabric of her clothes until it turned crimson.
Before she lost consciousness, only one thought remained in her mind:
Later? There won’t be a later.
In two weeks, she would leave this city.
She would sever ties with all of them—completely and utterly.
