chapter670

Connor looked genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected Lydia to take the initiative, and his heart raced as he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. When Lydia finally climbed out of the car, her lips were a little swollen, soft and pink like rose petals. She thought maybe she shouldn't be the one to kiss Connor first anymore. It was just too easy for him to lose control.

Sandy watched Lydia return, her hair a bit messy, cheeks flushed, lips still swollen. Sandy rolled her eyes and scoffed to herself. Shameless!

She slipped her phone into her pocket. The video she had just recorded would be more than enough. All it would take was one post on the school forum and rumors about Lydia being some rich guy's mistress would explode overnight.

Connor's car pulled away, and Lydia disappeared inside the dorm. Only then did Sandy step out from her hiding place. She was about to head in when a low, gravelly voice sounded behind her.

"Well, well... my sweet daughter. You made me work hard to find you."

Sandy froze, eyes wide and every muscle tensed. She didn't even look back. She just ran. But before she could get far, a hand grabbed her arm. The next thing she knew, she was tossed onto the grass.

At least it was midday, the sun beating down and most students gone after lunch. Or someone would have definitely seen her.

"I spent two months staying behind the bars for you. Now you see me and try to run? What's that supposed to mean?"

Sandy curled up, arms over her head. But then she remembered where she was. This was school. She wasn't Frank's daughter anymore, not by law. What was there to be scared of? She lifted her head and stared straight at him.

Frank was thin and rough-looking, his face covered in stubble. He had a gambling problem and owed all kinds of people all kinds of money. He couldn't pay, so the loan sharks had already cut off one of his fingers. A jagged scar ran from his eye down to his chin, making him look even more dangerous. He had a cigarette dangling from his lips and, through the smoke, his glare looked even colder.

He noticed the fear in Sandy's eyes and grinned, showing off his yellowed teeth.

"Before I went in, you promised me. You said if I took the fall, you'd give me five million when I got out. Hand it over. I haven't gambled in two months and I'm crawling out of my skin. Hurry up."

He shoved his hand out in front of her.

Sandy stared at his rough palm, now missing a finger. Eighteen years of beatings and misery flashed through her mind. Other kids spent their childhoods being loved. But at five, she was already carrying firewood, learning to cook and wash clothes Whenever Frank was in a bad mood, she became his punching bag. He never treated her like a real person.

When she got a little older, he made her work at a small restaurant, earning money

so he could drink and gamble. The hitting and yelling never stopped.

She just didn't get it. They were both switched at birth, so why did her life end up like this?

"You just got out, so you probably haven't heard yet. My real parents got in trouble too. They were arrested. The Smith family went bankrupt. I don't have any money now."

Frank's expression grew darker, his voice cold and sharp. "Don't give me that crap. It took a lot to find you. I heard about the Smiths, but didn't they leave you anything? Give me my five million."

Sandy's voice was quiet. They didn't leave me anything.

Frank's eyes narrowed. "Sandy, are you messing with me?" He glared at her, his anger barely contained.