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Chapter 3

Penulis: Corn 88
That afternoon, Howard knocked on my bedroom door. He was carrying a large black garment box.

When he opened it, I found a striking red designer gown inside.

"Evelyn, Dad's hosting a reception tonight to formally introduce you to everyone as his daughter."

Howard took the gown out of the box and held it up in front of me.

"I had it custom-made for you. You're going to look incredible. Everyone there is going to be watching you tonight."

A line of text appeared above the neckline.

[Beneficiary: Cassidy.

[Purpose: Make Cassidy look polished and elegant by making Evelyn look tacky beside her at the family reception.

[A tiny microphone hidden in the neckline will record Evelyn's voice, which will later be altered with AI to fabricate a final statement saying she willingly donated her heart.]

I ran my fingers over the fabric. "Thanks, Howard. I love it."

I looked up at him with a bright smile.

For a split second, Howard couldn't meet my eyes.

He cleared his throat. "Good. Put it on. The makeup artist will be here soon. Cassidy still needs some help getting ready, so I'm going to check on her."

He turned and left in a hurry.

The second the door closed, I picked up the red gown and slowly traced the stitching around the neckline with my fingers.

Just below the tag at the back, I felt something hard, about the size of a shirt button.

I grabbed a pair of small eyebrow scissors from the drawer, carefully snipped open the seam, and pulled out a tiny black microphone.

It was still recording. I closed my hand around it and stepped into the hallway.

Cassidy's bedroom was at the far end. The door was slightly ajar, and I could hear her and Howard talking inside.

I walked over quietly and stopped just outside the door.

Cassidy sat at her vanity while Howard clasped a necklace around her neck. Beside her sat a white Birkin, her favorite bag, the one she carried everywhere.

"Do you think Evelyn's going to steal the spotlight in that red dress tonight?" Cassidy asked sweetly.

"No. That red dress is way too flashy. If anything, it'll just make you look classier."

Howard's voice softened.

"Besides, after tonight, you won't have to worry about her taking attention away from you anymore. She won't be around much longer. They'll be taking her heart soon."

I stood outside the door, listening without a flicker of emotion. When they both turned away to look through a jewelry case, I slipped inside and picked up the white Birkin.

Using the eyebrow scissors, I carefully opened a few stitches in the inner lining and tucked the tiny microphone inside. Then I quickly stitched the seam closed again with the needle and thread I brought with me.

The whole thing took less than 30 seconds.

I slipped back out and returned to my bedroom.

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