Chapter 4

Stepping out, I immediately slipped into Julian Thorne's car.

"Who said you could get in?" Julian Thorne's chest heaved. "I told you to stop bothering me for the next few days, did it go in one ear and out the other?"

"I'm going to your place—"

Julian Thorne froze. "You… What are you doing at my place?"

*To see the White Moonlight Shrine of Sorrows?*

*Ding!* Someone's phone suddenly connected to the car's Bluetooth.

The next second, a steady, mechanical male voice began: "Julian Thorne stepped into the backseat, his hand propped beside Chloe Thorne, fire burning in his eyes. A scorching kiss descended, lips and tongues intertwined, shamelessly and fiercely invading every inch of her mouth…"

No… What kind of trashy romance novel is this?!

I lunged for the center console, but Julian Thorne pulled me into his arms. He looked at me with a half-smile. "Thanks to you, huh? Want to act it out right here?"

A knock came from the car window. Julian Thorne pressed a button, and the glass lowered halfway. His brow furrowed with annoyance. "Speak."

Skylar shrank her neck. "Mr. Thorne, my hamster… uh… seems to be having a difficult labor."

She held up her phone to the window. "Look, the pet hospital has called three times…"

"Get lost."

Skylar rolled away, but her inner thoughts still echoed in my ears: "Help! Another half-minute later and that psycho would hang me from the chandelier like a decoration!"

"Only his White Moonlight can handle this lunatic…"

Julian Thorne… is he really that savage now?

Suddenly, the White Moonlight Shrine of Sorrows didn't seem so essential anymore.

"How about I… come another time?"

A glint of darkness flashed in Julian Thorne's eyes. "Are you messing with me?"

I shook my head repeatedly. If I refused now, would I be hung from the chandelier immediately?

Inside the mansion, Julian Thorne slammed the door shut, barring everyone from entering.

Ms. Miller, beaming, welcomed me into my old room.

"I haven't seen Mr. Thorne this happy in a long time."

Happy? Seriously? Where did she see that?

"Maybe I should go apologize…"

"Now?" Ms. Miller sighed. "Mr. Thorne is having an episode. It won't do any good if you go now. How about waiting until tomorrow?"

"What kind of episode?"

"He's bipolar, you see. Sometimes he gets a bit irritable, sometimes he's down. He's been on medication for six or seven years, but it hasn't really helped. When his emotions fluctuate wildly, it tends to flare up."

No wonder.

But why would Julian Thorne suddenly get such a condition?

A dull thud from upstairs indicated something heavy had fallen. I took a deep breath. "So, we just let him act out like this?"

I reached for the doorknob, but Ms. Miller stopped me. "Miss Thorne, going now… it's too dangerous."

*It's fine. What's the worst that can happen, get hung from a chandelier?*

Seven years ago, when I reported my adoptive father, his men tortured me far worse than this.