“Sophia!” he screamed, his voice breaking. “I promise it had nothing to do with us! We only came to see you! When I heard the noise, I came to save you. We didn’t do anything wrong!”
Timothy suddenly moved, his jaw tight. He stepped forward and kicked Joseph brutally in the chest. Joseph’s body flew backward and slammed onto the floor with a painful thud.
Before he could even breathe, Timothy bent down, grabbed Joseph by the collar, and dragged him up.
His fist smashed into Joseph’s face repeatedly.
Each punch was heavier than the last until Joseph’s face turned blue and black, blood dripping from his mouth onto Timothy’s hand.
“We know everything,” Timothy said coldly, his voice calm but deadly. “There are cameras everywhere. Did you really think your crime would go unseen?”
Joseph’s whole body shook violently. His breath came out in broken gasps.
His desperate eyes shifted away and landed on Arthur.
Arthur stood a few steps away, his face dark, his stare icy and full of fury.
Magnus’s jaw tightened.
The muscles along his face moved sharply, his eyes burning with terrifying rage. The air around him felt suffocating as he started walking toward them.
Sophia grabbed him tighter. Her fingers twisted into his clothes. She moved closer, standing on her tiptoes, pressing herself against him, hiding in the curve of his body. She buried her face in his neck.
“Magnus, I don’t feel well… I want to go home,” she whispered.
Her voice trembled. Her breath was warm but uneven against his skin.
Her legs gave way. She almost collapsed, but Magnus caught her instantly.
His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back before she could fall. Panic flashed across his eyes for just a second.
Without wasting another moment, he bent down and lifted her into his arms. He held her tightly against his chest.
Sophia rested her head on his shoulder, her arms sliding around his neck. Her fingers clung to him weakly while her eyes stayed closed, her face pale.
Joseph cried out desperately, blood covering his face.
It dripped from his chin to the floor, mixing with dust and shame. His body shook so hard he could barely stay upright.
“Mr. Graves, please forgive us! It was a mistake!” he sobbed, his voice hoarse and broken. “We are Sophia’s family. You can’t be so heartless to us. Sophia will forgive us—please!”
Magnus looked at him as if he was already dead.
His eyes were dark, empty of warmth, like a man deciding where to bury a corpse.
“You chose the wrong person to offend.” His voice was terrifyingly calm, but it made everyone in the hall feel a chill run down their spine.
He turned to Timothy, his expression ruthless.
“Leave these animals half alive,” Magnus said. His fingers adjusted the cuff of his sleeve, calm, controlled. “Then hand them to the police. And make sure they don’t come out until they’re dying or can’t even breathe on their own.”
“Understood, Mr. Graves.” Timothy lowered his head, his expression turning colder. “We’ll find plenty of reasons to keep them in jail for a long time.”
Joseph dropped heavily onto the floor, his palms slamming against the tiles as he clutched his chest. His face turned pale, lips trembling, breath coming in short, broken gasps like he might pass out at any moment.
Violet swayed where she was.
Her body shook so badly she could barely remain upright. Her vision blurred, her ears ringing. From the day she was born, no one had ever dared to touch her, let alone beat her like this. Pain burned across her skin, something she had never experienced before.
