Chapter 3

As if he had somehow heard my thoughts, Lucas suddenly grew uneasy. “Something does seem off. Fiona’s always seen through our little tricks. She should have figured it out by now and come storming in here to demand an explanation.”

Hailey teased him deliberately, “I think you just miss Fiona.”

“Shouldn’t you be glad she hasn’t come to make a scene? What’s so strange about that?”

My father chimed in, trying to reassure him. “Don’t worry. I’ve already told the men guarding the house to notify me immediately if anything seems wrong.”

Richard’s expression darkened as he began to reconsider what they had done. “Mom has a heart condition. She can’t handle a scare like this, and Mia is still such a timid little girl. Without me there, Jenny might have a hard time calming her down.”

My father paused, then patted Richard on the shoulder. “You’re overthinking it. I’ve already had all the guns in the house taken away and ordered the doors locked. As long as they stay inside and behave, nothing will happen to them. It’s just a prank, after all. I could never bear to hurt them.”

In a corner where no one could see her, Hailey lowered her head guiltily.

I watched as she secretly pulled out her phone to send a message before making an excuse to leave the living room and go to the bathroom.

I followed close behind until she stopped in front of a man whose face was still smeared with blood.

He was the very subordinate who had rushed back earlier to deliver the news.

“Did you take care of everything I told you to do?” Hailey asked.

The man nodded frantically. “Everything’s done. I delivered the pills to Fiona’s mother myself, and I made sure the men guarding the house understood that they weren’t to open the door under any circumstances.”

Still seeming unconvinced, Hailey pressed him again. “Are you sure they’ll do as you say?”

The subordinate gave a contemptuous laugh. “Relax. I told them the orders came from the Don. They wouldn’t dare disobey.”

Hailey took out a bank card but didn’t hand it over immediately, merely watching him in silence until he understood what she wanted to hear.

He quickly played dumb and assured her, “I’ve never met you before, and I certainly never delivered any messages on your behalf.”

Only then did she hand over the card, and the man finally got the money he had been promised.

Hailey turned toward the house with a smug smile and murmured, “Fiona, if you think you can take anything from me, you’ll have to try again in your next life.”

That was when I finally understood that the entire tragedy had been Hailey’s doing.

She had taken my possessions and stolen the love that should have been mine, and although I had resented her for it, I had never once considered seeking revenge.

Even that hadn’t been enough for her. She wanted me dead, even if it meant killing the others too.

I trembled with rage, unable to contain myself any longer, and swung my hand at her face with all my strength, only for it to pass straight through her body.

The moment Hailey turned around, she spotted Richard standing behind her.

Recognizing the subordinate who had delivered the message earlier, he raised his voice and demanded, “What’s going on? Has something happened at home?”

Hailey quietly breathed a sigh of relief at his question, but then she suddenly burst into tears and looked at him reproachfully. “Richard, are you blaming me for this? It’s all my fault for insisting on playing this game and making you worry. Why don’t we just call it off and go home now?”

The more she spoke, the harder she cried, until the others inside heard the commotion and hurried out to see what was happening. They found Richard standing there at a loss, with Hailey looking utterly aggrieved beside him.

When my father learned what had happened, he immediately stepped in to soothe her. “Richard didn’t mean to snap at you, Hailey. Don’t take it to heart. We’ve already agreed to this, so we should keep our word and return home tomorrow as planned.”

Only then did Hailey stop crying and throw herself into my father’s arms.

Watching them together like one happy family, I couldn’t help feeling that the whole scene was bitterly ironic.

Father, our home is already gone.