Chapter 4 Her Loving Gaze Towards Him Had Vanished

Scott stared anxiously at Skye, who was frozen in fear but refused to move forward. She stumbled over and squatted in front of him, and he cried out and instinctively hugged his head. It was evident that Finn had been bullying him when their family was in difficult times. She had believed that her heart would no longer ache once she stopped loving Warren and that the Crawfords would regain their stability in Qrok, but she was mistaken. She should never have provoked Warren in the first place since Warren belonged to Matilda. Skye shouldn't have deceived herself! So, can the heavens bring back my parents and my healthy, lively younger brother? Skye held a frightened Scott tightly, refusing to let go no matter how he struggled and bit her. One of her hands caressed the back of his head while the other stroked his back, her voice gentle and soothing. "Don't be afraid, it's me, Skye. I'm here to protect you, Scott. Don't be afraid. It's alright. With me here, no one will bully you, and no one will hurt you again. Be good, Scott." The pain in his shoulder gradually subsided, and he slowly loosened his grip, his eyelashes fluttering as he stared at her for a few seconds before finally in confusion. "Skye?" His voice was barely audible, like a whisper, but she heard it clearly. Tears streamed down her face as she smiled at him, suppressing her sobs as she nodded firmly. "Yes! It's me. I'm back." At that moment, a group of people rushed out of the villa. "Mr. Morales, what happened to you?" "D*mn! It's Skye Crawford!" "What? Skye? She's out of prison?" "Move aside, let me see the most beautiful woman in Qrok!" A frivolous man approached and grabbed Skye's hair, forcing her to lift her head and expose her face for him to admire. Noticing the hideous burn scar on her forehead, the man exclaimed in disappointment, "What happened? Such a waste of her beauty!" He had originally intended to have some fun with her in the future, but now that he had seen her once stunning face now ruined, her complexion now dull like a roadside vendor, and her once curvaceous and alluring figure resembling a bag of bones, he had lost all interest. Skye brushed off the man's hand and, swallowing her pride, helped Scott to his feet. There were too many people against them, and if they stayed any longer, they might not be able to leave! It was Finn's birthday, and everyone was there to celebrate with him. Warren would also bring Matilda later, so everyone thought that it would be better for Skye and Scott to leave so as not to upset Matilda. If she was annoyed, Warren would definitely be too. Warren had sent Skye to prison for two years because of a minor injury Matilda sustained because of Skye, so it was clear how much he cared about Matilda! Finn, who had been at death's door, covered his neck, stuck out his tongue, and breathed heavily. After feeling himself recover, he looked up to find Skye and settle the score with her. Seeing her trying to slip away, he wanted to shout but couldn't make a loud sound. In frustration, he pushed the person next to him. "Bring that woman to me. Hurry!" How dare she strangle him! Did she still think she was the formerly influential Crawford heiress? "Warren and Matilda are coming soon. It won't be good if they see this, right?" said Finn. "Make her kneel and apologize to Matilda later. If Matilda is happy, Warren won't have anything to complain about that!" That's right! Everyone rushed forward without restraint. Since Skye had an injury on her leg, she couldn't walk fast, and a hand grabbed her hair from behind. Knowing that she couldn't escape, she pushed Scott forward. "Run! Run away! Scott, don't look back—ah!" Skye was tackled to the ground, and twisting her body, she bit the person's wrist. "You—!" The man angrily slapped her. Not satisfied, he slapped her again. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire, and the pain made it hard for her to open her eyes. "Stop hitting her. Woof woof! I won't run anymore, woof woof! Woof woof!" Scott was cornered by two people who punched and kicked him, and he instinctively barked like a dog because that was the only way to please these people. If they were happy, they wouldn't continue beating him. Hearing Scott's voice, Skye gritted her teeth and struggled to get up, pushing her attacker aside and protecting Scott with her body. Fists and kicks rained down on her; she thought she had become accustomed to this level of beating, but it still hurt. It hurt so much. "Enough! Separate them first. You, go get a dog leash and put it on Miss Crawford. Look at her temper! It hasn't been tamed, even in prison. Let's teach her some manners again!" Despite the immense force pulling her from behind, Skye still held onto Scott and refused to let go. With a ripping sound, her thin T-shirt was torn in half, exposing her skin to the air and causing her hair to stand on end. She instinctively wanted to cover her chest, but the men wouldn't allow it and dragged her back a long way, whistling and mocking her. "I didn't expect it! Even though she's so thin, her figure is still so attractive!" "She's truly well-endowed! Hahaha!" "Tsk tsk, I must capture this moment and share it with everyone in the group so they can witness something they've never seen before!" Ignoring the pain, Skye forcefully pulled back one hand to cover the neckline of her sports vest, biting her lip in humiliation and twisting her body to avoid the camera. How has it come to this? She thought that when she came out, she would be able to reunite happily with her family and start a new life, but in reality, Crawford Corporation was acquired, her parents had died, and her brother had become mentally disabled. The group of spoiled individuals who used to bow and scrape before her were now daring enough to humiliate her like this. "Why are you hiding? Who told you to hide yourself?" A man forcefully pushed her head against the wall, using his phone to record a video of her face. "Aren't you arrogant? Didn't you enjoy bullying Matilda in the past? You even made your brother drive and hit someone with a car. Today, both of you will face the consequences of your actions! Do you understand?" "D*mn it, what's with that expression? Do you have a problem with it? Come on, smile for the camera. I'll make you smile!" With a loud bang, her forehead collided with the cold, hard cement wall. She became dazed, and a sense of desolation filled her heart. Matilda was truly remarkable since she was loved unconditionally by Warren and protected by these spoiled individuals. However, Skye had already been in prison to repent for her crimes, accepting the guilt and the punishment she shouldn't have gotten. Wasn't that enough? "Mikey, why do you keep taking pictures of her disgusting face? You should know that her most impressive features are her legs!" "You're right!" Michael Yale was inspired by this and stopped insisting on making Skye smile, starting to pull at her pants. "No! Don't!" Skye screamed in terror. Even though she had endured severe mistreatment inside, she had never begged for mercy, but now, she lowered her voice. "Please, I beg you, let me go. I will take my brother far away. I promise never to appear in front of you again to bother you. Please, I beg you, give my little brother and me a way out. I truly know that I was wrong." No one listened since they were engrossed in watching the spectacle. While trying to dodge, Skye accidentally kicked Michael in the groin, and laughter erupted around them. Furious at her for embarrassing him, he grabbed her hair, but before he could make another move, he was kicked to the ground, and he fell on his back like a flipped turtle. Skye quickly crawled towards the corner of the wall, not fully comprehending what had just happened. Then, she saw a pair of shiny black leather shoes stepping on his face, grinding into it mercilessly as if it were a cigarette butt. It wasn't until the boots were stained with fresh blood that Warren finally withdrew his foot. The scene before Skye made her widen her eyes, and she covered her mouth with force, afraid to even breathe. The stuffy air became thin and cold as Michael curled up in pain and rolled on the ground, his hands covering his disfigured face. Her teeth chattered from her fear, and when Warren turned and looked at her, her heart jumped to her throat. Her pitiful and disheveled appearance made Warren's heart ache. It has only been two years; how has she ended up like this? He swallowed and lowered his gaze, taking off his suit jacket before leaning down to put it on her. However, she hastily avoided him like a frightened wild cat. His hand hung in the air as he watched her crawl toward Scott while trembling. "Scott, don't be afraid, it's your sister. Come, get up." Scott was still traumatized by the violence and hadn't snapped out of it, murmuring continuously and begging not to be hit as he pushed her away, refusing to let her touch him. Skye was anxious and did not know what to do. She gently touched Scott's head to calm his emotions and then tugged at the collar around his neck, trying to undo it. Unfortunately, the collar had a lock that required a key and was made of a hard material, so she couldn't pull it open even after cutting her palm. She really didn't want to stay here anymore since every passing minute second made her feel suffocated. Tears welled up in her eyes, and Skye took a deep breath, forcefully pulling Scott's arm and making him stand up. Warren turned to Finn and held out his hand, his expression as cold as frost. "Give it to me!" Finn uncomfortably fumbled with his pockets and placed a long silver key into Warren's palm. "Warren, it's not, I mean, I—" Warren didn't listen to his nonsense and quickly caught up with Skye, blocking her way. She instinctively pushed Scott behind her and nervously looked at the tall, dignified man in front of her. Once upon a time, she had been completely infatuated with him and never gave up any chance to get close to him, but now, she only felt terrified by him and wanted to stay far away from him, preferably never seeing him again. "What do you want, Mr. Whitley?" "What did you call me?" There was a hint of danger in the man's tone, and she took a few steps back with an intimidated yet distant gaze. "M-Mr. Whitley—"