Katelyn’s pupils dilated with disbelief.
The mask slipped from her grasp, clattering to the ground as she gazed, stunned, at the once-respected and familiar face before her.
Her voice shook uncontrollably.
“Briar, how could it be you?”
Shaun looked up at Katelyn with a chilling smile.
“Yes, it’s me. After learning you were Seymour’s disciple, I made it my goal to win your trust.”
Katelyn paled, her footing unsteady as she took a step back.
To her, Briar had been more than a friend; he was like family. He had been her support when she feared for her master’s safety, his comforting presence leading her to trust him implicitly.
Now, everything clicked into place.
How had he always known her whereabouts?
Why did he seem to understand her so deeply?
“You’ve been manipulating me from the start,” Katelyn murmured.
Her hands balled into fists, the sting of betrayal slicing through her like an unseen blade.
Though no visible wounds were present, the pain was excruciating.
Shaun hesitated for a split second, but then sneered.
“Your anguish brought me joy. Since Seymour had no children, hurting you was my way of tormenting him.”
Katelyn steeled herself against the pain.
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She inhaled deeply, her eyes shutting tight; when she opened them again, they were clear and resolute.
“I should have been suspicious earlier. Only a few know so much about me.”
Vincent watched silently, his expression somber.
He knew betrayal all too well.
“Get your master to the hospital first. I’ll handle this,” he said.
Katelyn nodded, though reluctantly. As she turned, her gaze involuntarily swept back to Shaun.
This man had once been a guiding figure in her life, assisting her in countless ways. Now, exposed as a manipulator, it shattered the image she had of him.
Desolation clouded her eyes.
“Don’t mourn the unworthy; see this as a hard lesson.” Seymour lifted his hand weakly, patting her back. He tried to comfort her, even as he grappled with his own pain.
Their deep friendship had been tainted by deceit and exploitation, leaving scars that would persist long after the physical wounds healed.
Katelyn suppressed her feelings and nodded silently. She accompanied Seymour to the hospital for a thorough examination.
The prolonged mistreatment had severely weakened his health.
Test results suggested his physical condition was akin to that of a sixty-year-old.
Clutching the medical report, Katelyn turned to Seymour. “How should we handle Briar?”
Resting in his hospital bed with an IV in his arm, Seymour replied, “Let the law take care of him. I don’t want to hear about him anymore.”
“Understood,” Katelyn responded, her nod resolute. Seymour’s condition was delicate, necessitating a hospital stay of at least a week.
Katelyn arranged for his care, hiring a nutritionist and a caregiver.
“Master, I need to handle some work issues. I’ll visit you tomorrow. Call me if you need anything,” she said as she prepared to leave.
Seymour gave a gentle nod. “Go ahead.”
“Okay.”
Katelyn left the hospital, but the revelation that Briar was the orchestrator of her master’s ordeal left her in turmoil, like a persistent, invisible thorn. As she drove home, images of Briar haunted her thoughts.
The man she once respected was nothing but a fiend who had manipulated and blackmailed her for years.
She sighed, picking up her phone, which immediately flooded with news alerts.
Clicking on one, she saw a post about Neil and Lise’s extravagant upcoming wedding.
One of Lise’s posts displayed her standing before a mirror, clad in a designer wedding gown. The train of her gown, several meters long and adorned with crystals, spread out extravagantly behind her, radiating exquisite elegance.
She wore a luxurious crown, smiling sweetly at the camera.
Katelyn’s expression turned frosty. Lise had gotten everything she wanted.
Just then, her phone began to ring.
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