Chapter 4

"Evie, drink some chamomile tea. It'll help calm your nerves," Gabriel said, walking over with a cup of tea, his face full of concern and sympathy.

I took the cup, deliberately letting my hand shake so a few drops spilled.

"My hands are shaking too much. I can barely hold a pen," I said and pushed the document away. "Let me rest for a bit. I'll sign after I finish this."

Gabriel nodded eagerly. "No rush. Drink first."

He stood beside me and watched as I brought the cup to my lips. Using the motion of tucking my hair behind my ear as cover, I quickly poured most of the tea into the large potted plant next to the couch. Then I made a show of wiping my mouth and set the empty cup back on the table.

"I'm so tired."

I pressed my hand to my forehead and slumped against the couch. Within a minute, my breathing slowed and evened out.

Gabriel shook my shoulder. "Evie? Hon?"

I didn't move.

Once he confirmed I was out, the concern melted off his face, replaced by something twisted and ugly. He straightened up and spat, "Fucking finally."

Patricia jumped up from the couch, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Get her to sign now! We can't wait any longer!"

Gabriel grabbed my hand, trying to force my thumbprint onto the document, but I'd tucked my hands beneath me. After a few attempts, he couldn't pull them free.

"Stubborn bitch," he muttered. "Whatever. I gave her enough to knock her out for hours. When she wakes up, we'll make her sign. Right now, we need to cover our tracks."

The two of them walked into the study and shut the door.

I opened my eyes. They were perfectly clear.

I slipped off the couch without a sound and padded barefoot to the study door. It hadn't fully closed, and voices filtered through the gap.

"You said it was just going to be a fake death for the insurance money!" Patricia's voice trembled with panic. "How did the family next door actually die? This is murder! If people find out, we're finished!"

"Keep your voice down!" Gabriel's voice turned vicious. "It was that idiot Jasmine! I told her to saw through just enough to cause a small leak for a minor explosion. Who knew she'd lose her mind and cut straight through the main line?"

"So what do we do now? That family is actually dead!"

"Good riddance!" Gabriel gave a cold laugh. "Dead men tell no tales. That family was greedy anyway. They took the 200 grand to fake their deaths and leave the country. Now that they're actually dead, no one knows we paid them off.

"As long as Evelyn signs and takes the fall, that 50 million in compensation is just smoke and mirrors. The money stays with us, and the house becomes ours."

"What about Jasmine?"

"That bitch is a problem too." Gabriel's voice dripped with irritation. "But we still need her for now. Once we get the money, I'll dump her."

I heard every word through the door.

So that was it. The scam from my past life had turned into a massacre in this one, all because of Jasmine's stupidity and jealousy. Three lives lost, but to them, it was nothing more than an inconvenience to manage.

I took a deep breath and crept back to the couch, settling into position. Gabriel emerged from the study with the document in hand, grinning like he'd already won. He walked over and stood above me, looking down.

"Evelyn, don't blame me for being cruel. Blame yourself for being too rich and too stupid," he said and reached toward my collar.

I snapped my eyes open.

Gabriel jerked back, his hand freezing midair. "H-Hon? You're awake?"

I looked up at him, a strange smile curling my lips. "Yeah. I'm awake."

I sat up, my gaze cutting across his face like a blade. "Gabriel, what do you think would happen if the police found out who really bought that pipe cutter?"

All the color drained from his face. "What are you talking about?"