Chapter 4

After my condition stabilized, I walked out of the healer's room.

The moment I opened the door, I saw that my family was waiting for me.

Hayden strode forward, held up my phone, and asked, "Who is this safety officer? Is he an actor you hired?"

I leaned against the wall and asked back, "What if he's not?"

Mom yelled, with tears in her eyes, "Daisy almost had a mental breakdown after she found out! Are you that determined to drive her to an early grave?"

Dad snorted, snatched my phone away, and ordered, "Delete him from your contacts."

I lunged forward to swipe my phone back, but he smashed the phone against the floor.

The screen instantly cracked.

I crouched down to pick it up and clutched the phone protectively to myself.

The shattered screen cut into my palms. I trembled with pain but didn't loosen my grip.

"Mom, Dad, Hans, Hayden, I've given up everything to Daisy. Are you really going to take away the only truth I have left, too?" I asked.

Mom's gaze was filled with disappointment. "Katie, you used to be my most well-behaved child. How did you turn out like this?"

I suddenly felt like laughing.

In Mom's eyes, "well-behaved" described someone who wasn't even allowed to explain themselves when they were wronged. Was I going to be denied this truth even on the verge of death?

Dad grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and shouted, "We're hosting a live stream tomorrow morning! You have to admit in front of the entire pack that this man is a fraud you hired!"

I bit my lip hard. "I won't!"

Dad exploded with rage. "It's not up to you to decide!"

Amid the violent struggle, my vision darkened, and I lost consciousness.

When I next woke up, I was lying in the basement of our house.

The door was locked, and my phone had been confiscated.

The basement was dark and damp, and the air here was exceptionally thin.

I pounded on the door when I heard someone passing by.

Hayden's voice rang out. "Stop struggling. I'll let you out tomorrow morning after the live stream ends."

I leaned against the door and slowly slid down until I was sitting on the floor.

It turned out that when someone was at death's door, there was very little that they could recall.

I could only remember how Mom used to hold me while I slept when I was young because I was afraid of the dark.

Hans would give me candy, while Hayden would take me out to play, smiling as he told me that my happiness mattered most to him.

Back then, I truly thought that our family would stay happy forever.

But now, I had nothing left.

As the sky grew light, my breathing grew weaker and weaker.

I used the last of my strength to call out softly, "Mom…"

Nobody responded.

I closed my eyes for the last time.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Everyone was woken up by the sound and gathered in the living room, after which Dad opened the door impatiently.

Mr. Alves strode into the house with a bodycam in his hand and asked, "Are Katherine's parents here? I'm Ronaldo Alves, the security officer in charge of the rescue operation during the fire seven years ago. I have something to discuss with them."