Chapter 5

The newcomer was Sean Murray-Stella's fifth son and a seasoned fighter known for his boxing skills.

Carl caught sight of him moving in on Eliana,and he dashed forward to block him. "Sean! Stop right there!"

Sean wasn't interested in hearing him out. In his mind, the only thing that mattered was taking down the person he believed had hurt his mother.

Carl tried to hold his ground, but Sean shoved him aside with a sharp push and swung his attack toward Eliana.

The strike came dangerously close to the back of her head, and Carl's chest tightened. He couldn't bear to watch what might happen next, so he squeezed his eyes shut.

A sharp crack rang out, the unmistakable sound of bones shifting out of place.

Carl's mind reeled. Did Eliana's skull just take the hit?His heart clenched at the thought.

When he finally dared to look, the sight left him stunned. Sean was the one on the floor.

Eliana had somehow twisted him into a hold with one arm, his face twisted in pain, his body completely restrained.

The butler froze in place, eyes wide with disbelief.

Carl hadn't caught the start of it, but the butler had witnessed her every movement.

In a blink, Eliana had become nothing more than a streak of motion, her counterattack striking with flawless aim and enough force to slam Sean to the floor, holding him there without effort. Her speed and precision were nothing short of extraordinary.

The butler might have known nothing about fighting skills,but even he could tell that her skill left Sean far behind. Still, it didn't add up. How could she be this good?

Sean wasn't just anyone. He trained with the Fist Guild, a boxing circle celebrated for turning out fighters who could dismantle several opponents in one go. Every member of that guild carried a reputation for dominance in the ring.

The thought crept into the butler's mind-was Eliana truly some girl from the countryside, or had they all been mistaken?

While the butler wrestled with his disbelief, Carl shook off his shock and hurried toward Eliana. "Lia,are you hurt?" he asked quickly.

Eliana gave a small shake of her headp her face unreadable.

No matter how much force Sean put behind it, he couldn't so much as rattle her.

Gritting his teeth against the ache in his arm,Sean shot Carl a fierce glare. "Shouldn't you be asking if I'm the one in trouble? And who is she anyway? You're standing up for someone who went after Mom? Did you lose your senses?"

Carl's eyes flicked to Eliana, confirming she was unhurt before answering, "Sean, this is Lia, our sister.She wasn't hurting Mom-she was helping her."

That revelation made Sean blink in disbelief, his head jerking toward Eliana.

From where he stood, all he noticed was the wiry strength in her arm, slender yet unyielding.

"You're our sister?" he asked, his voice edged with doubt.

By then, Eliana had already figured out who he was.Realizing it was nothing more than a misunderstanding, she loosened her hold.

She gave him a brief nod before returning to Stella's side, slipping back into her acupuncture work as though the clash had never happened.

Sean got to his feet with effort, his movements stiff. Carl's eyes flicked between the two of them before he asked, "Sean, are you sure you're okay?"

The truth was far from it. Sean's right arm hung useless, every twitch sending sharp jolts of pain through him.

Even the smallest movement made it feel as though the bone might snap again.

Yet pride kept him from admitting any weakness.

Being a Fist Guild fighter, he couldn't stomach the thought of being brought down by a ggirl.

He told himself he had simply underestimated her,forcing a tight grin. "I'm fine."

Carl accepted the answer with a relieved breath."Good. You nearly hurt Lia back there, so watch yourself next time."

Sean found his gaze drifting back to Eliana.

Her clothes were plain and worn yet there was an icy edge in her presence that could cut through anyone who dared meet her eyes.

From where he stood, her face was hidden from view.

In his mind, though, Eliana had always been gentle, a girl with a warm smile and soft manners.

The woman by Stella's bed was nothing of the sort-her presence was all edge and steel, nothing like the sister he remembered.

"How wasI supposed to guess she was Lia? And are you absolutely sure she's the same person?" Sean asked, his tone dripping with doubt.

"I checked for myself. There's no mistake," said Carl with a steady nod.

The certainty in Carl's voice, paired with the jade pendant he presented, chipped away at Sean's disbelief.

"Alright," he muttered, still wincing, then asked why their mother had suddenly fainted.

Carl's face darkened at the question. "Leyla's the reason."

Sean blinked in surprise. "Leyla? What happened to her?"

"She's turned her back on us. From this moment on,she has nothing to do with us," Carl said with a sneer.

Of the six Murray brothers, Carl had always been the one at odds with Leyla, while the rest kept her close.

Hearing such a statement, Sean's first instinct was to blame Carl. He said sharply, "Your relationship with Leyla has always been rocky. Whatever fight you've had, you have no right to talk about her like that.She's been our sister from the day we took her in."

At Sean's words, Carl's lips curled into a mocking smile. He knew Sean too well-once his brother decided where his loyalty lay, no words could sway him unless he was faced with undeniable proof.

Instead of wasting his breath, Carl reached into his pocket and tossed a folded document toward him.

"Read it for yourself," he said coolly. Sean accepted the document with a guarded expression. When his eyes scanned the words, they widened as though he'd been struck. "This... this is Leyla's handwriting."

There was no mistaking it-he knew every curve and flourish of her writing.

The agreement left nothing to interpretation-Leyla had severed all ties with the Murray family, her adoption officially ended. What could have possibly led to this?

The initial shock faded, replaced by a creeping accusation.

With his left hand, he seized Carl's collar, dragging him close. "So this is about Lia, isn't it? She comes back, and suddenly Leyla's cut off? Don't feed me excuses. Even if times are rough, we're still capable of giving Leyla a decent life. She's grown up with us,Carl.How could you throw her away like this?"

Carl let out a sharp, impatient huff. "Like I've said before-every single one of you is blind except me." Sean's brows drew tight as he replied, "Quit talking nonsense. Go find Leyla and make things right. If you don't, don't blame me when I lay you out."

The glare Carl gave him was ice-cold. He shoved Sean back and snapped, "You'd raise your hand against your own brother over her? What hold does she have on you? CCan't you see what she really is?Remember asking why Mom collapsed? I'll spell it out for you. This wasn't my doing-Leyla made us sign that agreement. When our family ran into trouble,she wrote this herself to cut ties so we wouldn't ruin her marriage into the Clarke family. Mom collapsed from the anger!"