She Used Me for a Dare… Now I Own Her Mother

Chapter 445: The Siblings(2)

"Don’t worry too much about your current situation," Catherine reassured. "I’ve found a real cure for it. You will be able to cultivate again. And not just that... you’ll be able to reach heights you never imagined before. Stronger than you ever were."

Catherine’s words hung in the air between them.

James didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he slowly lifted his head and looked at his sister.

For a long moment, he simply stared at her without saying a word. His eyes, which had been wild and unfocused earlier, now seemed strangely clear as they studied her face.

Different emotions flickered across his expression one after another.

First, there was a faint trace of hope... fragile and uncertain, like he wanted to believe her. Then it was quickly replaced by doubt, as if he was reminding himself not to fall for false promises. After that came pain, raw and heavy, followed by a bitter kind of acceptance.

"You don’t have to keep giving me hope, Catherine," he said, his voice rough and quiet. "I know exactly what situation I’m in."

He looked down at his own scarred hands, his expression turning dark.

"I can feel it every single day. My cultivation is gone. My body is damaged beyond repair. I’m not the same person I used to be... and I never will be again."

He let out another short, bitter laugh and shook his head again.

"How can somebody have a cure for a poison that even the sacred families are helpless against?" he said, his voice filled with disbelief. "Do you really expect me to believe that you found something that even they couldn’t?"

He looked at her with tired, pained eyes.

"Stop trying to comfort me with lies," he continued, his voice growing heavier. "I know you’re only saying this because you feel sorry for me. But I’m not a child anymore, Catherine. I can handle the truth."

Catherine met James’s eyes with a calm and steady gaze. There was neither frustration nor anger on her face... only quiet determination.

She didn’t argue with him. She didn’t try to defend herself or explain further.

Instead, she simply said,

"...Alright."

Her voice was calm. Almost too calm.

"If that’s what you want to believe, then fine," she continued. "I won’t force you to trust me right now."

She took one step back and looked at him with clear eyes.

"But whether you believe me or not... I’m still going to do what I said. I’m going to fix you, James. And when that happens, you’ll understand everything on your own."

She paused for a second, then added in a quieter but firmer tone,

"Until then, just stay alive. That’s all I’m asking."

Catherine stood in silence for a moment after speaking to James. Then, without another word, she stepped forward.

Her heels clicked softly against the cold stone floor as she walked past hom. The warmth and concern that had been in her eyes just moments ago had completely disappeared. Now, her gaze was cold and sharp as she looked at the men tied to the chairs.

She moved slowly, her eyes scanning each of them with quiet contempt until she finally stopped in front of Pierce.

Pierce, who had been trembling ever since James tortured the others, felt her gaze land on him.

A cold shiver ran down his spine. He instinctively tried to shrink back into the chair, but the ropes held him tightly in place. His breathing grew heavier as Catherine stared down at him without saying anything.

She didn’t blink. She didn’t speak. She simply watched him for a few long seconds, as if studying something insignificant.

Then, slowly, she reached into the inner pocket of her coat and pulled out a small syringe filled with a dark liquid. The needle glinted under the dim light of the chamber.

Pierce’s eyes widened in fear when he saw it.

Catherine looked at the syringe for a brief moment, then turned her cold gaze back to him.

"You are lucky," she said, her voice calm and emotionless.

She took one step closer, holding the syringe loosely between her fingers.

"James wanted to kill you slowly. He wanted to make you suffer for hours... maybe even days." She tilted her head slightly. "But I’m not going to let that happen."

Catherine leaned in just enough for Pierce to clearly see the syringe in her hand.

"Because I still have use for you," she said quietly. "So instead of dying in pain... you’re going to disappear quietly."

She raised the syringe slightly, the dark liquid inside shifting as she moved it.

"Be grateful," she added, her voice still disturbingly calm. "This is much kinder than what you deserve."

Catherine didn’t say anything else.

She stepped closer to Pierce, who was already shaking in fear. Without any hesitation, she grabbed his arm, found the vein, and smoothly pushed the needle into his skin. The dark liquid inside the syringe slowly entered his body.

Pierce’s eyes widened for a moment. He tried to struggle, but his body quickly grew heavy.

His breathing slowed down, and his head began to droop. Within seconds, his eyes fluttered shut, and he completely lost consciousness. His body went limp against the ropes, hanging loosely in the chair.

Catherine looked at him for a second, then glanced at the other tied-up men. None of them dared to make a sound. They only stared at her in pure terror.

Without saying a single word, she turned around and started walking back toward the exit.

James, who had been silently watching everything, finally spoke.

"What was that?" he asked, his voice rough and curious.

Catherine didn’t stop walking. She kept moving toward the door, her heels echoing softly in the chamber.

"There is still some use left in him," she replied calmly, without looking back. "Killing him now would be a waste."

James stared at her back for a moment, then quietly followed behind her.

***

Catherine and James walked out of the underground chamber in silence. The heavy metal door closed behind them with a loud, echoing thud. The air outside felt much cleaner compared to the thick stench of blood they had left behind.

They had only taken a few steps when James, who was walking behind her, finally spoke.

"Where is Sophia?" he asked.

Catherine stopped walking. She slowly turned around to face him. There was a hint of mockery in her eyes as she looked at her brother.

"You remember you have a daughter?" she asked, her tone slightly sharp and teasing.

James’s face immediately changed. A look of embarrassment and guilt flashed across his expression. He lowered his gaze for a second, unable to meet her eyes. It was clear that her words had hit him.

Catherine stared at him for a moment longer before her expression softened. She let out a small sigh.

"Don’t worry about her," she said, her voice calmer now. "She is alright."

James looked up at her again. This time, his face carried more concern than embarrassment.

"I meant..." he said quietly, "the thing she asked for..."

Catherine looked at him properly this time. She could clearly see the worry in his eyes. Her expression softened even more as she studied his face.

"Don’t worry too much," she said gently. "She is a strong girl. She can endure everything without much trouble."

She paused for a second, then added,

"Sophia is not as fragile as you think, James. She knows how to survive. So stop carrying that guilt on your face every time her name comes up."

James didn’t reply. He simply looked at her in silence, but something in his eyes had changed. The worry was still there, yet behind it was a deeper, heavier feeling... guilt.

For a moment, he didn’t even try to hide it.

He knew Catherine was right.

He had been so deeply drowned in his own problems, his rage, and his desire for revenge that he had barely spared any real attention to his own daughter.

He had failed her in more ways than he wanted to admit. He wasn’t there when she needed him. He didn’t protect her the way a father should.

James walked beside her in silence for a while. His steps were slow, and his head was slightly lowered. After a few seconds, he finally spoke again, his voice quieter than before.

"...Were you serious?" he asked without looking at her. "When you said you really found a cure... were you actually serious about it?"

Catherine stopped walking and turned to face him. She looked at her brother for a moment, and a small, knowing smile appeared on her lips.

She could clearly see it.

There was hope in his eyes.

It was faint, buried deep under layers of doubt and pain, but it was there. For the first time in a long while, her brother was showing something other than madness and self-destruction. He was looking at her like he wanted to believe her... even if he was scared to.

’He’s really broken...’ Catherine thought to herself. ’Even now, he’s scared to hold on to any hope.’

She looked at him with that same small smile and spoke calmly.

"Have I ever joked like this before?"

James finally looked up and met her eyes. He didn’t say anything, but the way he stared at her showed that her words had reached him.

Catherine continued, her voice steady.

"I don’t say things I don’t mean, James. If I told you I found a cure, then I did. Whether you believe it or not is up to you."