Dylan's Dad

Dylan picked up the documents from the desk and flung it at me. "Then leave my house! This is not a place where private doctors hook up with any man she sees!"

I turned to leave, not stopping to look at him twice—leaving suited me just fine, so I could be spared having to watch him and Lily getting sweet on each other.

However, as soon as I left the study, I found Lily standing at the door, glaring at me venomously. "Why do you insist on coming between me and Dylan?"

I snorted. "Only someone like you would want Dylan Sullivan. I certainly don't."

As I strode past her, she suddenly screamed, "Dr. Jones?! What are you doing?! No!!!"

I turned, startled to see that she was already falling down the stairs.

I was still gaping and confused, while the servants hurried to Lily downstairs.

Dylan dashed out of the study, picking her up and crying in a pained voice, "Lily!"

Covered in cuts and bruises all over, Lily's tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at Dylan and said miserably, "It's not her fault—it's mine. It's normal for her to get upset that I took you away… But I just couldn't bear to give you up…"

"Wendy Jones!" Dylan bellowed furiously. "How dare you hurt Lily! Hold her down!"

Several servants promptly grabbed me, forcing me painfully down on my knees, leaving me gasping in pain.

As Dylan looked down at me loftily, he demanded, "Which hand did you use to push Lily?"

"I didn't push her," I growled through my teeth. "Check the cameras."

"No… There's no reason to check,"Lily promptly sobbed in Dylan's arms. "It's all my fault… I fell on my own, it's not Dr. Jones' fault."

"You're way too kind for your own good," Dylan sighed as he gently stroked her hair. "You don't have to defend evil people like her."

I chuckled in self-deprecation—it didn't matter when or where, Dylan would never believe me.

"Fine!" Dylan snapped coolly then. "Since you won't say, I'll break your right hand!"

"No, stop!"

I cried out in panic—as a doctor, my career would be over if my hand were broken. "Take me to the police if you want. Don't you dare hurt me!"

However, Dylan laughed savagely instead. "Bring me a hammer! Since you're so worried, I'll start with your little finger!"

Lily looked up in his arms and grinned spitefully at me too, leaving me gritting my teeth.

Why did they get to torment me repeatedly when I had done nothing wrong?!

Soon, Dylan took the hammer himself, and bludgeoned my little finger.

I almost blacked out from the pain, and had to clench my jaw to stop myself from passing out, while my little finger was completely bent out of shape.

"That's for not learning to behave," he whispered into my ear. "What's gotten into you? You were such a good girl in our past lives…"

I never heard what he said after that, as the realization struck me—he had been reborn too.

Hatred new and old swelled inside me, and I glared at him murderously.

He raised the hammer again, and said, "Why don't you start begging? Do that, and I'll spare you."

"Never!" I snarled through my teeth. "Either you die, or I do!"

Incensed, Dylan raised the hammer in the air, but that was when an authoritative voice bellowed, "What do you think you're doing?!"