Chapter 2 Family Secret
Vinnie stepped forward, jaw tight. “Elizabeth, that’s enough. He’s my brother—my blood brother.”
Elizabeth’s eyes burned with pure disgust. “He’s an assassin, Vinnie. A government dog. A killer who destroys everything he touches. I won’t have him under my roof.”
“That’s not true,” Vinnie shot back. “Kane’s not like that.”
Elizabeth laughed coldly. “You’re blind. He’s a murderer, Vinnie! A walking death sentence!”
“He’s staying tonight,” Vinnie said firmly. “It’s late. Where the hell is he supposed to go?”
“I don’t care!” Elizabeth screamed. “I won’t sleep under the same roof as a murderer!”
Vinnie’s face turned red, fists shaking as he fought to hold back. He opened his mouth, but Elizabeth cut him off viciously.
“How dare you bring him here? Have you forgotten your place, bondslave?”
The word hit like a slap. The entire room went dead silent.
Vinnie’s eyes widened in shock and shame. “Elizabeth… how could you say that?”
“How could I?” she hissed. “How could you sell yourself for ten million dollars? Ten million! And now you act like you own this house? You’re nothing but a bondslave. My property.”
Kane stood frozen. Everything clicked. His brother had sold his freedom to clear the debt he caused. Vinnie had become a slave to this woman to save him.
Elizabeth didn’t wait. She scooped up little Eleanor, who was half-asleep, and stormed toward the hallway.
“I’ll talk to her,” Vinnie muttered, voice broken. He started after her. “Elizabeth, please, let’s talk—”
Elizabeth spun around, face twisted in rage. She grabbed Vinnie’s luggage and hurled it at him. The bag slammed at his feet with a loud thud.
“Leave!” she shouted. “Both of you! Get out of my house right now!”
Vinnie stood there, stunned. “This is my home too, Elizabeth. You can’t just—”
“I can and I will,” she snapped. “You signed the papers. You belong to me. Take your killer brother and get out before I call security.”
Vinnie grabbed his bag, voice pleading. “Elizabeth, calm down—”
“Get out, Vinnie. Now!” she screamed.
The shouting grew louder. Just as Elizabeth turned to yell again, little Eleanor started convulsing violently in her arms. The girl’s body shook hard, head lolling back, eyes rolling white. Her limbs stiffened. Blood trickled from her nose, staining Elizabeth’s blouse red.
“Eleanor!” Elizabeth shrieked, clutching her daughter. “Vinnie! She’s—she’s dying!”
Vinnie rushed to the cabinet and ripped the drawer open. He scattered everything until he grabbed a small glass vial. His hands shook. The vial slipped and smashed on the floor. The liquid spread uselessly across the tiles.
“No!” Vinnie dropped to his knees, trying to scoop it up.
“Vinnie, what have you done?!” Elizabeth yelled.
Vinnie scrambled up and dialed his phone with shaking fingers. “Yes, it’s my daughter, Eleanor! She’s convulsing! Blood from her nose—she’s dying! Send a doctor now!”
The person on the other end said something that crushed him. “What do you mean you can’t send anyone? She’s a child! She’s dying right here!”
Elizabeth held her trembling daughter tight, face pale. Vinnie begged into the phone. “Please… please don’t turn her away. I’ll pay double—”
The line went dead. Vinnie stared at the phone, then smashed it on the floor. It shattered into pieces. “Damn them all!”
Kane knelt beside Eleanor, eyes locked on her convulsing body. Black veins stood out against her pale gray skin. The violent spasms and ragged breathing told him everything.
Erebus Toxin.
How the hell did this deadly poison get into a child?
“Vinnie! Elizabeth!” Kane shouted. “Bring me ice right now!”
Elizabeth’s eyes were wet with tears as she clutched her daughter. “What do you know about this? Don’t you dare touch her!”
“Trust me,” Kane said sharply. “Get salt water too. Both of you wash your hands with it. Now.”
Vinnie looked lost. “Kane, what’s happening?”
“I’m not sure yet,” Kane replied, “but if it’s what I think, we’re running out of time.”
Elizabeth screamed at him. “Don’t touch her, murderer! I won’t let you kill my daughter!”
Vinnie tried to grab her arm. “Elizabeth, let him help—”
She shoved him away hard. “No! Stay away from her!”
Kane ignored the shouting. “Vinnie, get the damn ice! Move!”
Vinnie finally snapped out of it and ran to the kitchen. Elizabeth glared at Kane like he was the devil himself.
When Vinnie rushed back with a bowl of ice, Kane grabbed scissors from the table. Elizabeth’s eyes widened in horror.
“What are you doing?!” she cried, stepping back while shielding Eleanor.
Kane didn’t answer. He carefully cut the fabric around Eleanor’s neck. The swollen black veins bulged like ugly worms under her skin.
Elizabeth slapped him hard across the face.
Kane turned slowly, eyes cold. “Do you want her to die? Shut up if you don’t want your daughter dead.”
Elizabeth’s face broke. She buried herself in Vinnie’s chest, sobbing. Vinnie held her tight, his own face twisted in pain.
Kane kept working. “I don’t care what you think of me, Elizabeth. This is my niece. I won’t let her die. If she goes, I go with her.”
He pressed ice firmly on Eleanor’s chest and made a small cut along the swollen vein. Dark, thick blood oozed out.
Kane grabbed an empty cola can from the table, sterilized the straw with a candle flame, and inserted it into the cut. He sucked out the poisoned blood in steady pulls, spitting it onto the floor.
He closed his eyes for a second, remembering Master Chen’s training. Jie Du Fa — the rare poison expulsion technique.
Kane pressed hard on the Nei Kuan point on Eleanor’s wrist, then moved to other meridian points, channeling energy into her body. He pulled a small pouch from his bag, took out Qīng Huà Wán pills — ginseng, licorice root, and secret antidotes — and placed a few on her tongue. He massaged her throat until she swallowed.
Vinnie watched with wide eyes. “Kane… what the hell is that?”
“Old family remedy,” Kane answered without looking up. “It works.”
Elizabeth stayed quiet, eyes glued to her daughter.
Slowly, Eleanor’s convulsions weakened. The black veins started fading back to normal pink.
Then Eleanor sighed deeply… and stopped breathing completely.
“You killed her!” Elizabeth screamed. She lunged forward and grabbed Kane’s shirt. “I warned you! You murderer!”
