Chapter 3

William stood at the center of the dance floor as he held Joy by her waist and relished in everyone’s jealous gazes.

Meanwhile, I could not even make a sound. The icy air that seeped out from under the gaps of the freezer door made the bodyguards tremble in the cold.

They exchanged glances, and one of them asked, “Don’t you think that the freezer’s temperature is colder than usual?”

Another said through chattering teeth, “Y-yeah. Why is it so cold? We’re already freezing. Miss Violet hasn’t even let out a peep. Do you think she’s okay in there?”

The captain of the bodyguards felt uneasy. He ran to the banquet hall to talk to William.

But Joy’s maid stood in his way. “Mr. Staton is enjoying himself. Don’t bother him, and just do as you are told.”

The bodyguard captain wanted to say something, but the maid interrupted him again. “Don’t forget who’s going to be the lady of the house in the future. Even if something happens, Miss Joy can vouch for you.”

He gave her one long look before returning to his post in resignation.

I watched them leave as I floated in the air. I exhaled long and hard before turning to face my smiling brother.

His gaze was full of desire as he stared at Joy.

Whenever someone tried to flirt with Joy on the dance floor, he stormed over with a dark expression and held Joy tightly in his arms.

“Joy’s still young. She doesn’t have any plans to date right now.”

The newest person, who had tried to talk to her, was stunned for a moment before he chuckled and took out a gift box from his bag. “Mr. Staton, you misunderstand me. I was wondering where Miss Violet was. I brought her a gift.”

At the mention of my name, Joy’s smile froze.

William frowned and took the gift. He said indifferently, “I’ll take it. I can give it to her later.”

He turned around and threw the gift into the trash without hesitation. He said to Joy affectionately, “They’re all blind! Don’t mind them. It’s just a worthless gift. I’ll buy plenty of other great gifts for you.”

As they stared at each other, the air between them became rife with tension.

William drew his face closer to Joy’s. As they were about to kiss, a bodyguard rushed in. He mumbled, “It’s freezing… If I stay there any longer, I’ll die!”

William scowled in annoyance and snapped at him, “Didn’t I ask you to keep an eye on Violet? Why are you here?”

The bodyguard’s lips had turned blue from the cold. “Mr. Staton… I think that there’s something wrong with the temperature in the freezer. It’s much colder than usual. Why don’t you take a look?”

William instinctively took a step forward. Just then, Joy said softly, “The freezer was really cold. I was just there for a short while, but I felt like someone was cutting into my flesh with a cleaver.”

When he heard that, William stopped in his tracks and checked his watch. “Violet did something awful, and it’s only right to teach her a lesson. Shut her inside for another thirty minutes.”

At that, the bodyguard had no other choice but to go back and guard the freezer.

Once he left, Joy suddenly teared up. “You’re so good to me, William! When I was locked in the freezer, I thought that I was going to die. But that didn’t scare me as much as the thought of never seeing you again…”

She sobbed, and William could not bear it. He pinned her against the wall and kissed her.

The feelings he had kept suppressed for years finally burst forth.

I watched him caress Joy’s body and suddenly felt like laughing.

My parents might be rolling in their graves at this.

They broke their kiss after a long time.

William patted Joy’s hair, and his gaze turned sickeningly sweet. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you suffer anymore. Once the company is completely stable in a few years, I’ll marry you.”

He took out a small box from his pocket and put the ring on Joy’s ring finger. “This is my real birthday present for you.”

Joy was so touched that she teared up again, but when William turned around to entertain the guests, her expression turned venomous. “I’ve been lurking around for so long, and now, the Staton family’s wealth is finally within reach!”

She spread her hand wide open and stared at the diamond ring before chuckling smugly. “It really was quite difficult. To get this ring and everything belonging to the Staton family, I had to kill three people.”

‘Three?’ I thought.

My eyes widened in disbelief.

“If those old coots had listened to me, I wouldn’t have cut off their brake lines. What a pity. I treated them like family, but they only ever saw me as Violet’s plaything. They deserved it!”

At that moment, it felt as if lightning had struck me. Once I understood, I immediately rushed forward and tried to strangle her.

But my spirit just phased through her, and I could not do anything. I could only watch as she sashayed around the banquet hall.

I watched her in stunned silence.

‘William, if you knew that you just proposed to your parents’ murderer, how would you feel?’ I thought.

Dejected, I drifted about the banquet hall. Watching William making eyes at Joy across the sea of people felt unbearably ironic.

Thirty minutes later, a bodyguard hurried over. “It’s time, Mr. Staton. Should we let Miss Violet go?”

William nodded and called Joy over. “Come, let’s go. I want her to apologize to you.”

They walked to the freezer in the backyard, but even before they got closer, William felt the cold attack his body.

Immediately, he thought that something was wrong and started walking faster.

As I drifted behind him, I saw his anxiety. I wanted to laugh.

No matter how fast he ran, I would not come back to life. My dead parents were not coming back either.

In his anxious state, he tried to push the door open, but the freezing temperature had frozen the door shut. He could not open it.

“What’s going on?! Why’s the door frozen shut?”

In an even more worked-up state, William kicked at the door.

“Violet!” he shouted my name but received no response.

Then, he pointed at the bodyguards and roared, “Why are you standing there?! Hurry, and break the door down!”

They instantly moved and tried to break down the metal door.

William pitched in to help. His fingers bled from trying to pry the door open, but he did not care. He shouted, “Faster!”

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The loud thuds as they banged at the door sounded grating to the ears in the quiet backyard.

Finally, the metal door budged.

A cold gust of air flowed out and almost made them freeze.

But that did not stop William. He was the first to rush in. He looked around, and his gaze finally landed on the frozen body in the corner.

That body, of course, was mine, his sister’s.