Adopted to Biological? Keep Your Golden Child Scapegoat Out novel Chapter 72

Chapter 2

Before I could get another word out, Sienna cranked up the waterworks.

“Vesper… you’re gonna throw me out? Is that it?”

She whirled toward Dante, sobbing. “What happens to me then? You know what they’ll do to me out there…”

Dante’s jaw went tight. Stared at me like I’d just spat on his shoes.

“You’re really pulling rank on a little girl who can’t defend herself? That’s what we’re doing now?”

Didn’t even lee answer. The whole crew jumped in.

“Vesper, you know how this works. One of you leaves, it’s gotta be her. You basically signing her death warrant?”

“Ice-cold killer. Doesn’t even care about family.”

Lana stepped up, grabbed my arm. Tried to look sympathetic.

“Come on, Vesper. You were green once. Cut her some slack.

I looked at her. Felt my insides turn to stone.

Years ago, she blew an op. Set off every alarm in the building. I was already out. Went back in alone and pulled her from a room full of bodies.

She was soaked in blood. Swore she owed me everything.

Now she’s standing here defending the girl who took my ma.

“Lana, I’m leaving because I choose to. Nobody said anything about kicking her-”

Dante shut me down. Hard. “You finished yet?”

“Let’s be real. You’re jealous.” He pulled Sienna against him, eyes burning into me. “This whole mess is my fault. You got beef, come at me. Sienna’s just a kid. She didn’t mean anything. Why are you going after her?”

Pain spiked through my skull. Memory wipe screwing with my head.

Done talking. I pressed my fingers to my temple. Started walking.

“Vesper, don’t go! Please…”

Sienna suddenly threw herself at my legs.

Went down hard on her knees. Arms locked around my calf. Her nails raked my ankle, broke skin.

Pure instinct. Muscle memory kicked in. My leg jerked free.

I was barely moved. But everyone saw it like I’d punted her cross the room.

Sienna screamed. Hit the floor. Her left hand twisted wrong

Dante shoved me back. “You make me fucking sick!”

Sienna cradled her wrist. “My hand… I can’t feel my fingers…”

Dante scooped her up. Looked at me like I was garbage.

“She runs all omms. All our intel. Her hands are her life. And you actually just tried to break them?!”

He carried her past me. Stopped. Voice dropped to a whisper

“Vesper. You don’t wanna work anymore? Fine. Get out. See how long you survive without the family watching your back.”

Room cleared out fast. Everyone followed him.

Even the newest guy-barely been made a year-went out of his way to avoid me. Snorted as he passed.

“Getting old, huh? Acting like some jealous high schooler. Embarrassing.”

Woke up to footsteps.

Shot upright. Dante was standing in my room.

“Brought your knife back.” He set it on the nightstand.

I barely looked at it. “Didn’t need to come all the way here for that.’

་་

He shook his head. “You’ve had this thing for ten years. It’s seen everything we’ve been through.”

“Vesper. A decade. All the shit we survived together. Why are we torching it over this?”

Memories slammed into me before I could stop them.

Him diving in front of me mid-firefight. Bullet tore through is shoulder. Almost lost the arm.

Jungle op gone sideways. Explosion shredded my legs. He carried me a hundred miles on his back to get me out.

First time I took a fall for him. They broke me for days. And he looked me in the eye after and swore he’d never turn on me.

Yeah, we were good back then.

His voice snapped me back.

“Sienna’s fingers are just cracked. Needs to stay off them for bit.”

“She’s supposed to be running logistics. You cover her shifts the next few days.”

He crossed his arms. “Wedding’s in a week. Whole family’s watching. We gotta keep this clean.”

I met his eyes. Voice flat. “Dante. I don’t want to marry you anymore. So why the hell would I keep pretending?”