Chapter 336

"What happened to Joshua? And why was Joanna here?" Sophia wondered. Her pupils constricted. The sight of the blood pooling on the ground was so jarring that her legs nearly gave out beneath her. I lay motionless on top of Joanna, my tattered clothes barely hanging onto my body. The whip-inflicted wounds on my skin were exposed, raw and crimson against the dim light. Sophia's fingers trembled at her sides. But the moment she saw the faint rise and fall of my chest, she stumbled forward in a panic. "Joshua… h-how are you?" She reached out but hesitated, unsure where to touch me without causing more pain. Before she could figure it out, a chilling voice rang out from above, dripping with mockery. "Sophia, I never thought someone as heartless as you could actually feel fear. What a rare sight." When Sophia heard those words, her body tensed. She immediately lifted her gaze toward the source of the voice. Miley stood on the second-floor walkway, a cruel smile curling on her lips. H