Chapter 4

2 AM. My room was bathed in pale moonlight.

I had dragged my exhausted body back here two hours ago, but sleep was nowhere to be found. My mind kept replaying that scene in the bathroom—Crystal's viciousness, Jake's rage, everyone's contemptuous stares.

Enough. I was done.

I got up and walked to the closet, pulling out a dusty old suitcase. Mechanically, I began packing my tools one by one—every wrench, every screwdriver carried my true worth.

My hand paused at a photo on the nightstand—seventeen-year-old me and nineteen-year-old Jake, standing in front of a freshly modified Harley. In the picture, my eyes were full of adoration, while he gazed into the distance, just like tonight, never truly seeing me.

I picked up the photo and tore it into pieces without hesitation. The sound of paper fragments falling was especially crisp in the silence, like something breaking completely.

I continued packing—every mechanical certificate, every technical manual, every modification part. These were my treasures, not those fake "family bonds."

The suitcase filled up quickly. I sat on the bed and wrote a farewell letter to Razor:

"Dear Razor,

Thank you for nine years of adoption and care. But I need to find my own path now.

Please don't look for me. I'm an adult and can take responsibility for myself.

Thank you, and please forgive me.

—Raven"

Just as I was folding the letter, my door was roughly shoved open.

Jake stumbled against the doorframe, reeking of alcohol, his eyes glazed. When he saw my suitcase, he let out a contemptuous laugh.

"Oh look, our little princess is throwing a tantrum?" He staggered into the room. "Really planning to run away from home?"

I didn't look up, continuing to pack my last few belongings. "Move, Jake."

"Move?" Jake laughed even louder, the sound piercing my eardrums. "Raven, do you understand the situation here? This is my house, my dad's turf. You're just some adopted little girl, and you want to give me attitude?"

Adopted little girl.

Those words stabbed into my heart like knives, but I couldn't let him see how much they hurt. My hands paused for a second, then resumed their motion. "I'm not giving you attitude. I'm just leaving."

"Leaving?" Jake stumbled, nearly hitting the wall. "Where to? What can you do besides fixing cars?"

The mockery in his voice cut through me like blades, but I told myself not to cry—absolutely not in front of him.

"Jake, you're drunk. Go back to your room."

"I'm not drunk!" Jake suddenly exploded, slamming his palm on the table with a thunderous crash that made my heart race. "I'm perfectly sober! Crystal clear!"

He swayed as he approached me, looking down from above. Just like he'd done for nine years—always looking down at me.

"Crystal is pregnant with my child, and you actually pushed her! But she was just trying to protect our baby."

Hearing those words, I felt my blood flowing backward. He was still defending her! Defending the woman who had framed me!

I looked up, meeting his eyes directly. "So? Did you come here to defend her?"

"I came to tell you to stop this nonsense!" Jake waved his hands, the alcohol making his face flushed red. "You're embarrassing the entire gang! Everyone's watching, everyone's saying Razor raised an ungrateful wretch!"

Ungrateful wretch.

Those three words completely shattered the last fantasy in my heart. So this was how they saw me—an ungrateful wretch. I had given everything to this gang, devoted nine years of my youth and love to Jake, and this was the judgment I received in return.

But I couldn't break down, at least not in front of him.

"Are you done?" My voice was so calm it surprised even me.

"Done?" Jake waved dismissively. "Raven, stop being dramatic. You grew up here—this is your home. Crystal's situation is set in stone. Why can't you just accept reality? We're still siblings, that won't change."

He looked at me through drunken, bleary eyes, his tone full of condescending arrogance. "Don't think I don't know about your little feelings. But Raven, face reality—I'm the heir to this gang. I need a woman like Crystal, not someone like you... a mechanic."

Mechanic.

Was this his summary of our nine years together? A mechanic?

In that moment, I felt my heart stop beating. Not from pain, but from complete resignation.

I slowly stood up, meeting his gaze. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting half my face in light and half in shadow, just like my current mood.

"Jake." My voice was light as a feather, yet each word was ice-cold. "You'll never understand what you've lost."

Jake burped, waving dismissively. "Lost what? Some little mechanic girl?"

He staggered toward the door, talking as he walked. "Raven, don't think too highly of yourself. You're nothing outside of here. The outside world won't protect you like the gang does. You'll come back begging."

The door slammed shut.

I stood there quietly, tears finally flowing down. Not because his words had hurt me, but because I had finally let go completely.

Nine years of unrequited love, nine years of waiting—it all ended tonight.

I walked to the mirror, looking at my reflection—for nine years, I had lived in Jake's shadow, changing myself for him, pleasing him, accommodating him.

"A mechanic?" I smiled softly at the mirror. "Yes, I am a mechanic. I can fix cars, but I can't fix your rotten heart."

I wiped away my tears, picked up my suitcase, and took one last look at the room. From age eight to twenty-one, this place had witnessed all my growth, but after tonight, it would never be my home again.

2:30 AM. I quietly wheeled my modified Harley into the courtyard. The black "Black Rose" gleamed metallic in the moonlight—now, it belonged to me alone.

I secured my luggage to the back of the bike, put on my helmet, and took a deep look at gang headquarters.

"Goodbye to everything here."

The engine's roar shattered the silent night. I didn't look back, gunning the throttle to the max as the black Harley shot toward Route 66 like an arrow from a bow.

Night wind whipped across my face, and the road ahead was dark and uncertain, but I knew that no matter how difficult it would be, it was better than staying in a place full of lies and betrayal.