Natalie slipped her hand into her pocket as a cover and pulled something out from her storage space. When Maisie saw it, she started trembling. "W-what are you trying to do?!" Natalie smiled meaningfully, her eyes cold. "Just giving you a taste of your own medicine." Off to the side, Cassian glanced meaningfully at the sewing needles in Natalie's hand when he saw the terror in Maisie's wide eyes. Without hesitation, Natalie grabbed Maisie's arm and jabbed a needle into her shoulder. Cassian's breath hitched, and his eyes on Maisie turned sharper, more menacing. A taste of her own medicine? Had Nattie's grandma truly treated her like this before?! Maisie screamed in pain. At first, she fought hard, struggling to break free. But the moment the needle pierced her skin, every movement shot a sharp pain through her shoulder. Slowly, her fighting started to weaken. Natalie didn't waste a single second and quickly pushed in another needle. She wasn't Olivia—she had no clue about needle therapy or pressure points. She just jabbed at wherever it would hurt the most. Soon, six needles were stuck into different parts of Maisie's body. And that wasn't enough. After each one, Natalie slammed it with her shoe to make sure it went in deep. Without going to the hospital, Maisie couldn't pull them out herself. She'd have to cut herself to get them out. The fear inside her was even worse than the pain."Natalie! You're trying to kill me! What if one hits my bloodstream and reaches my heart?" Natalie's face stayed cold. "I don't care about that. I'm just doing to you what you did to me. Nothing more." Hearing that, Cassian lost it and kicked Maisie hard. He was strong, trained for years, and way stronger than Natalie. The kick knocked Maisie out cold. Even then, it didn't make him feel better. Watching the needles go in twisted something deep in his chest. But it wasn't pity for Maisie—it was for the Natalie of the past. That was Natalie's grandmother! How could she hurt her granddaughter like that?! Natalie noticed Cassian's chest heaving with anger and realized he was hurting for her. She gently rubbed his chest. "It's okay. That was all in the past." His eyes were red as he pulled her close. "Nattie ... " Natalie pressed her head against him. "Yeah?" He held his lips tightly. "You went through so much." Her voice was soft. "Honestly, I was just a baby at that time. I barely remember." She was only a one year old when Maisie shoved those needles in her. As a spiteful, ignorant woman from the countryside, Maisie was obsessed with having a grandson. When Scarlett refused to have a second child, Maisie wanted Natalie gone without anyone finding out. She figured if Natalie died, Scarlett could try for a boy later.Because Natalie was so young, her bones were soft, and the needles got stuck in her bones. Luckily, Maisie didn't get much alone time with Natalie, so only six needles were inserted, missing vital organs. That's why Natalie survived. Those steel needles stayed hidden in her body as she grew up. No one ever noticed. It wasn't until she was 14, after a skiing injury led to an X-ray, that the needles were discovered. Even the doctors were shocked. Scarlett almost fainted, blaming herself. No wonder Natalie had cried nonstop as a baby. Scarlett had thought she was just hot-tempered like her, but it turned out her daughter had been in pain all along. Jacob even got down on his knees, begging Scarlett and Natalie to forgive Maisie and keep her out of prison. After that, the family cut all ties with Maisie. Natalie never saw her grandmother again. Cassian listened, his eyes cold as he looked at Maisie unconscious on the ground. "She's so cruel!" He pulled Natalie closer, a shiver running through him. "I rarely got the chance to meet you." Natalie thought of her previous life and sighed softly. "Yeah, we never met back then." Their personalities, hobbies, and habits matched perfectly. It was such a shame they hadn't crossed paths in their previous life. "Hmm?" Cassian frowned, unsure what she meant. Natalie didn't explain and just nuzzled his chest. "But we meet this time."The second chance at life had already given her so much. She felt completely content. Cassian kissed her forehead. "From now on, I'll always protect you." Natalie laughed. "Hey, you just lost to me in sparring!" He grinned. "Looks like I'm gonna need to train harder." Outside, the sun blazed down. After a few more words, they got back in the car, cranked up the air conditioner, and headed out.