After a two-hour drive to the shooting range, Selena showed up—her face glowing with joy.
I was caught off guard and turned to Justin in confusion.
He responded casually, as if nothing were amiss.
“She was bored at home, so I invited her to come along. She’s your sister. You don’t mind, do you?”
I stared at him, my voice cold and flat.
“Justin, my mother only gave birth to me. I don’t have a sister. Have you forgotten?”
His expression instantly darkened and the anger in his eyes surged.
“Thalia, must you ruin everything? We’re here to have fun. What’s the big deal about one more person? Selena just ended a marriage—shouldn’t we, as her family, take her out more and try to cheer her up?”
Selena, who had been standing nearby, noticed my reaction and lowered her head, looking crestfallen.
Her voice was soft, filled with guilt.
“I’m sorry for intruding… I’ll leave now.”
Justin reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her from walking away.
Completely disregarding my presence, he gently handed her a tissue.
“We’re all here already, so let’s just enjoy ourselves. Don’t worry about her mood. Anyone can come to a shooting range.”
He shot me a sharp look.
“With all these people watching, don’t cause a scene.”
Then, without giving me a chance to respond, he dragged me roughly toward the gear area to change.
Selena, shameless as ever, didn’t flinch. She changed into her gear not far from us, as if nothing had happened.
And then, just like that, as though the tension had vanished, she came skipping over to us again.
She stopped beside me, picked up a pistol—and aimed the barrel directly at my chest.
My heart skipped a beat, my body froze and my breath caught in my throat.
Justin’s face changed instantly. In one swift move, he lunged forward and grabbed Selena’s hand, jerking the gun away from me and toward the target.
A shot fired.
The recoil threw Selena backward and she yelped, dropping the gun in fright.
Luckily, Justin caught her in time. She fell into his chest, trembling with fear.
“Justin, that was terrifying… I was so scared. Thank goodness you were there…”
Her voice quivered as she clung to him. Tears shimmered in her eyes.
Justin instinctively reached up and stroked her hair, comforting her, his face filled with concern.
Meanwhile, I stood frozen, stunned by what had just happened. My mind had gone completely blank.
It took several seconds before I could move again.
Then, without another word, I marched up to Selena, grabbed her by the collar and yanked her away from Justin.
I slapped her—once, then again.
“Selena, what the hell were you thinking?! Were you trying to kill me?!”
She clutched her cheek, eyes brimming with tears as she looked at me with pitiful innocence.
“I’m sorry… sister. I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to point it at someone. I didn’t mean to. I only realized afterward… I almost caused an accident.”
I scoffed coldly, my gaze filled with ice and venom.
“You think I’d believe that? A bastard daughter trying to steal my family fortune, seducing my boyfriend, then seducing my husband… A woman capable of such disgraceful things couldn’t possibly be innocent!”
My hands were trembling, my fury boiling over, my calm facade shattered.
By the time I finished, my voice had risen to a snarl.
Then—crack—a loud slap echoed across the range.
Justin had hit me.
His brows were furrowed, but his eyes were devoid of sympathy.
“Enough! Selena didn’t do it on purpose. It was her first time shooting—mistakes happen! Why can’t you use your head?”
“She’s your sister. Can’t you stop jumping to conclusions about her? She said it wasn’t intentional.”
Then he tu
“You’re not supposed to aim the barrel at anyone! The instructor already warned us—that was reckless!”
Selena flinched from his sudden outburst. Her lips trembled and she blinked back tears.
“I’m sorry… I’m so stupid. I won’t bother you again. I’ll go home now.”
She wiped her tears and ran off.
As soon as she disappeared from sight, Justin turned back to me with an impatient frown.
“Forget her. Let’s just continue shooting.”
But my hands were still trembling as I gripped the pistol, the earlier moment replaying in my mind like a nightmare.
It took all my focus to calm myself.
I tried adjusting my posture.
“Is this okay?” I asked.
Justin stood behind me, silent.
When I turned around, I found his eyes weren’t on me at all.
He was still staring in the direction Selena had left.
