Chapter 2

Stepping off the plane was my fiancée, Savannah, followed closely by the rest of the Lawson family.

A few of their men yanked me out of the shabby shack where I'd been kept, forcing me into a suit.

The fabric scraped against my already rough, damaged skin, but I didn't flinch. I felt nothing at all.

Savannah strutted toward me in high heels. Her face twisted in disgust with a warning glint in her eyes. "From now on, stay away from Nicholas. The past is done and over. If you stir up trouble again, you'll regret it."

My vacant gaze drifted across their faces, but I said nothing.

Two years of relentless torment on Sapphire Isle had stripped away my humanity until I was no different from the sea lion they'd turned me into.

Suddenly, as if reacting to a trainer's cue, I clapped my palms together, a sharp smacking sound echoing in the air.

Murmurs stirred around us. Savannah frowned and snapped, "What the hell are you doing now?"

I couldn't stop. It was like I was trapped in a loop I couldn't break, clapping again and again no matter what they said, my eyes glassy and lifeless.

When she saw how obedient I looked, Savannah's expression softened with a smug smile. "That's better, Maxwell. Keep acting like this, and our engagement will stay intact. As long as you don't lay a finger on Nicholas, we can go back to being one big happy family. You know what will happen if you don't behave."

She nodded with satisfaction, grabbed my arm, and started pulling me toward the helicopter. The moment her hand touched my skin, she froze. Her expression turned from annoyance to shock.

"Why is your body so cold?" she asked, her voice suddenly shrill.

I let her hold onto me, completely unbothered, moving mechanically with her like everything she said had nothing to do with me. My eyes stared straight ahead, unfocused.

Nicholas wore a fake, nauseatingly concerned smile. "Maxwell, did something happen on the island? Did you get sick or something?

"I should've spoken up for you sooner... This is my fault.

"But don't get the wrong idea. I honestly hope you recover. We're still family, after all."

The sound of his voice made my head snap toward him. I stared straight into his eyes, then let out a high-pitched screech that didn't sound human, more like a sea lion's cry.

Nicholas flinched hard, panic flashing across his face. He staggered back, nearly losing his balance.

He clutched his chest like he thought I was about to attack him.

"Maxwell, I get it, okay? You still hate me, but I didn't mean any harm!"

Savannah yanked my arm with force and yelled, "What kind of tantrum are you throwing now? Nicholas was being kind. You gonna attack him for that?"

Nicholas sniffled pathetically, adding, "It's my fault. I shouldn't have brought up the past. I must've upset Maxwell."

Savannah immediately stood in front of Nicholas like a lioness protecting her cub. Her eyes blazed with fury, and she shrieked, "What do you want from us, Maxwell?! Nicholas has always treated you like a real brother. Why can't you let it go? Two years on Sapphire Isle, and you still haven't changed. Instead of becoming a better person, you've learned how to lash out?"

My father, Connor Lawson, turned beet red and pointed a shaking finger at my face. "Look at yourself! Nicholas has shown you nothing but kindness, and this is how you repay him? You've always been petty, and now you've completely lost it. I can't believe we raised someone as ungrateful as you!"

My mother, Grace Lawson, dabbed at her eyes, sobbing quietly, "Why can't you just get along with Nicholas? He never steals anything from you. He's not even a real Lawson by blood. It's hard enough for him. Can't you just be the bigger person?"

Their hatred surrounded me like an invisible net, wrapping tighter and tighter until I could barely breathe.

My body moved on its own, desperate to escape, my feet carrying me toward the sea. I wanted nothing more than to dive into that cold, familiar water.

Savannah's eyes locked on me, and she lunged forward, grabbing my clothes. She yanked the suit jacket off my shoulders.

And then she froze.