Chapter 4

“Tina…” I gritted my teeth. My mouth filled with the taste of metallic blood.

“What you’re doing is illegal! This is murder!”

“Murder?” Tina grinned.

“Sir, you can put anything you want in your mouth, but you can’t just say whatever comes to mind. This was just an unfortunate accident.

“Mom’s got everything arranged. As long as Anya is dead and the compensation is paid, who’s going to investigate a broken steel wire?”

The word “Mom” rolled off her tongue so effortlessly.

My heart felt like it was being shredded in a meat grinder.

“You call her ‘Mom’… Have you two been reunited for a long time?”

“Of course.” Tina raised her eyebrows smugly.

“Ever since I was born, Mom has doted on me the most.

“She said that idiot Anya is just like you, dull and boring. I’m the only one she’s proud of.

“You know what? I told her I wanted to see Anya fly high in the sky, only to crash and burn.

“Mom agreed without a second thought and even praised me for being creative.”

“Beasts… your whole family are beasts!”

Rage surged through me, and I shoved Tina away violently.

“Stop him! Don’t let him ruin the fun!” Steve roared.

Two boys immediately rushed over and pinned me firmly to the ground.

My face was pressed against the cold, rough floor. My line of sight lined up with a crack in the side curtain.

Through that crack, I could clearly see the scene on stage.

The girl flying through the air was performing a difficult spin mid-air.

I knew for a fact that the steel wire holding her was on the verge of snapping.

“Since you love your daughter so much, watch this carefully.”

Steve walked over, planted his foot on my shoulder, and forced me to stare at the gap.

“Don’t you dare close your eyes, Emery.”

“Vera is watching from down below. She’s waiting to celebrate with her precious Tina.”

“Let me go! Stop this right now!”

I struggled desperately. My fists pounded against the ground with a dull thud.

That was a human life! Even if it was not Anya, it was still an innocent child!

“I beg you, stop this. I’ll divorce Vera!

“I’ll take Anya with me! Please, spare that child!”

My eyes were teary, and I was screaming at the top of my lungs.

But Steve just laughed even harder.

He pulled out his phone and pointed it at my face.

Tina giggled as she stomped on the back of my hand, crushing it with all her might.

“Ah!”

The pain shot through my entire body. The nerves from fingers were connected to the whole body, after all.

“Begging won’t help,” Tina said with a vicious glint in her eyes.

“Anya has to die. If she doesn’t die, how else could I rightfully join the Sander family?

“If she doesn’t die, how else could I inherit Mom’s fortune? Blame her for having bad luck. She’s standing in my way!”

The music on stage grew increasingly quick and frantic.

In my past timeline, the scene of my daughter’s fatal fall kept replaying in my mind.

Despair washed over me like a tidal wave.

“Vera… you’ll all get what’s coming to you…”

Just as the girl executed a grand leap, a “snap” sounded from the steel cable.

I watched helplessly as she plummeted to the ground.

Immediately afterward came a unified gasp from the thousands in the audience, followed by the dull thud of a heavy object hitting the ground.