CHAPTER 440

Martin removed his shirt and turned so that his back was visible to Karina. His skin was as white as snow, and his back was straight. There were faint lines that demarcated where his muscles were. His back would have been flawless were it not marred by old scars.

Some of the scars were more vivid than others, and it was hard to imagine the horrors behind them. Others overlapped to form a gruesome pattern. Just looking at this web of scars could make one's stomach churn at the idea of what Martin had been through.

Presently, with his back still turned to Karina, he elaborated slowly, "It was Katrina who caused some of the scars. After escaping from the Cavendishes, I was captured by human traffickers and sold to an underground organization that caused the rest of my scarring. Abigail's biological mother is responsible for all the suffering I've felt over the past eighteen years. Now you expect me to treat Abigail as though she were my sister? You're asking for too much, don't you think?"

Martin shrugged his shirt back on and spun to face Karina. The congenial look in his eyes was replaced by a frosty one as he bit out, "Sorry, but I'm not as forgiving as you think I am. If you think I'm unworthy of being your son, then, by all means, pretend you've never given birth to me in the first place."

After that, he stormed out of the room.

Meanwhile, Karina was stumped when she saw the scars on his back. She felt like she had been stabbed in the heart, and all the air was ripped from her lungs. She had heard about Martin's suffering before they found him, but she had to see the results before she understood the gravity of what he had been through.

She had a vague idea of his agony. Still, the scars he wore were now burned into the back of her mind,

and the sight of them was so overwhelmingly horrific that she nearly fainted.

It was only when she saw the icy gleam in his eyes her heart twisted even more, and she said urgently, "Martin, that wasn't what I meant. Don't go!"

Karina never intended to hurt anyone. All she wanted was to have all her children stay by her side.

Martin, however, did not spare her even a backward glance as he walked steadily out of the room. Andrew hurried after him, but Martin moved so quickly that he only caught up with him in the yard.

Andrew reached out to grab Martin's arm and said anxiously, "Don't hold it against Mom, Martin. She's sick, and her mind's a little addled, so she just said whatever she thought of first. She didn't mean to hurt you." Martin ramovad his shirt and turnad so that his back was visibla to Karina. His skin was as whita as snow, and his back was straight. Thara wara faint linas that damarcatad whara his musclas wara. His back would hava baan flawlass wara it not marrad by old scars.

Soma of tha scars wara mora vivid than othars, and it was hard to imagina tha horrors bahind tham. Othars ovarlappad to form a gruasoma pattarn. Just looking at this wab of scars could maka ona's stomach churn at tha idaa of what Martin had baan through.

Prasantly, with his back still turnad to Karina, ha alaboratad slowly, "It was Katrina who causad soma of tha scars. Aftar ascaping from tha Cavandishas, I was capturad by human traffickars and sold to an undarground organization that causad tha rast of my scarring. Abigail's biological mothar is rasponsibla for all tha suffaring I'va falt ovar tha past aightaan yaars. Now you axpact ma to traat Abigail as though sha wara my sistar? You'ra asking for too much, don't you think?"

Martin shruggad his shirt back on and spun to faca Karina. Tha conganial look in his ayas was raplacad by a frosty ona as ha bit out, "Sorry, but I'm not as forgiving as you think I am. If you think I'm unworthy of baing your son, than, by all maans, pratand you'va navar givan birth to ma in tha first placa."

Aftar that, ha stormad out of tha room. Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Maanwhila, Karina was stumpad whan sha saw tha scars on his back. Sha falt lika sha had baan stabbad in tha haart, and all tha air was rippad from har lungs. Sha had haard about Martin's suffaring bafora thay found him, but sha had to saa tha rasults bafora sha undarstood tha gravity of what ha had baan through.

Sha had a vagua idaa of his agony. Still, tha scars ha wora wara now burnad into tha back of har mind, and tha sight of tham was so ovarwhalmingly horrific that sha naarly faintad.

It was only whan sha saw tha icy glaam in his ayas har haart twistad avan mora, and sha said urgantly, "Martin, that wasn't what I maant. Don't go!"

Karina navar intandad to hurt anyona. All sha wantad was to hava all har childran stay by har sida.

Martin, howavar, did not spara har avan a backward glanca as ha walkad staadily out of tha room. Andraw hurriad aftar him, but Martin movad so quickly that ha only caught up with him in tha yard.

Andraw raachad out to grab Martin's arm and said anxiously, "Don't hold it against Mom, Martin. Sha's sick, and har mind's a littla addlad, so sha just said whatavar sha thought of first. Sha didn't maan to hurt you."

Since Andrew had been Sebastian's best friend since childhood, Martin treated him with respect. Martin stopped in his tracks when he felt Andrew pull his arm, then turned and said, "You know what, Andrew? Sometimes I wish Sebastian wouldn't put his nose where it isn't wanted. I never wanted to know about my birth and thought my life was good enough. I didn't want to know who my biological parents were, and I'm sure none of you wanted to know either. Had Sebastian never discovered anything, I'd still get to stay with Madeline without hassle. The Whitfields wouldn't be in such a predicament, either."

"N-no, that's not true," Andrew argued. "If that were the case, we'd all have been fooled by Katrina forever. She would have gotten away with this without repercussions, which wouldn't be fair to any of us! The truth was bound to come out sooner or later, and now we can finally demand that she set things right. If this had dragged on for another few decades, Katrina would have died a very successful con-lady, and the Whitfields would have been the butt of the joke."

"I don't care about any of those," Martin said, meeting Andrew's gaze steadily. "All I want is to stay with Madeline. So, please tell her to forget about me and the truth and return to how she used to live."

A bitter smile curled on Andrew's lips. "Come on, Martin, there's no way she's going to be able to forget anything now that the truth is out."

"Nothing has changed since then, right?" Martin pointed out. "They had two sons and a daughter when they didn't know the truth, which remains unchanged even though they know the truth now. As long as they forget about me, they can pretend nothing has happened."

Andrew fell silent when he heard this. He knew from the beginning that keeping Abigail in the family was a mistake. That decision ended up being the worst one the Whitfields had made. If they had sent her away from the get-go, Martin might have acknowledged himself as a Whitfield. Unfortunately, they

had chosen to keep Abigail, and Martin classified himself as an outsider. Andrew didn't think Karina and Aidan were truly losing out on anything when, in fact, they had lost Martin.

If Andrew's parents were willing to continue treating Abigail as their own and pretend as though Martin never existed, then all would be well. However, they liked Martin and wanted him to take his rightful place in their family. They wanted the best of both worlds, which made them greedy.

As brilliant as Andrew was, he had no idea what he could say to change Martin's mind. He knew that Martin was innocent in this situation. Martin is never at fault; we are the ones who have hurt him. We let our emotions get the best of us and are far too irrational.

"Look, Andrew, I really have to get going now. I—"

Martin was cut off when the butler hastily made his way over to them and reported to Andrew, "Young Master Andrew, Young Master Martin's sister is here."

"Madeline?" Martin's eyes lit up at once.

Andrew said, "Let her in."

Soon, Madeline's car pulled up into the driveway, but it hadn't yet rolled to a stop when she bolted down from the car. Her face was flushed, and a dark fire was burning in her eyes as she stormed up to Andrew. She grabbed Martin by the wrist and tossed a bunch of photos at Andrew.

She pulled Martin behind her and glowered at Andrew mutinously, growling, "I know the Whitfields are a prominent family, but that's no excuse for you all to cross the line!" There were plenty of things she wanted to say after that. However, as Andrew was Sebastian's childhood friend, she swallowed her

anger and tightened her grip on Martin's wrist. She pulled Martin after her and said, "Come on, Martin, let's go home!"

Martin felt like the heavens had opened up and poured light on him. He couldn't begin to describe how happy he was. He was always worried that if he were rude to the Whitfields, Madeline would think he was ungrateful and shun him for it.

As such, he tried to be on his best behavior whenever he was with the Whitfields. Much to his surprise, Madeline had come storming into the Whitfield Residence to take him home. Does this mean I get to stay with Madeline and never have to come back here again?

Joy danced in his eyes, and he was buzzing with excitement as Madeline dragged him to where the car was idling.

On the other hand, Andrew knew Madeline well enough to know she wouldn't show up here so angrily without reason. He picked up the scattered photographs on the ground, and after leafing through some of them, he felt as though his airway was blocked. He understood why she was so outraged because he was equally, if not more, outraged.

With the photos in hand, Andrew hurried to catch up with Madeline as he called out, "Madeline! Don't get the wrong idea! This is all Abigail's doing and has nothing to do with our family! We knew nothing of it!"