MasukANNA'S POV Two days had passed since Isabel’s death, yet the house still felt strangely quiet, almost like the walls themselves were grieving. So Ryan and I decided to leave for a while. We came to the park early this morning, hoping that fresh air and a change of scenery would help clear my mind. We had been walking slowly for a while now, neither of us in a hurry, our footsteps soft against the paved path as the world around us slowly woke up. The park was peaceful. Birds chirped in the trees, the gentle rustling of leaves carried through the cool morning breeze, and a few people jogged in the distance. It felt… calm. A type of calm I hadn’t experienced in a long time. After everything that had happened this week, calm was something I desperately needed. Ryan walked beside me quietly, matching my pace without saying anything. I could feel his presence beside me — steady, patient, almost careful, like he didn’t want to say the wrong thing and ruin the fragile peace between us.
ANNA'S POV I still couldn’t believe it Even as I stood there in the middle of the living room, watching everything unfold around me, my mind refused to fully process what had just happened. Isabel was dead. The words echoed again and again in my head, but they didn’t feel real. Just a few minutes ago she had been standing in front of me, angry, screaming, trying to attack me. Now… she was lying on the floor, motionless, while paramedics carefully placed her body into a black bag. I felt a strange heaviness settle inside my chest. I didn’t like Isabel. That much was true. She had hurt this family more times than I could count. She had betrayed us, lied to us, and tried to destroy everything we had built. But even then… I never wanted it to end like this. Not like this. My throat tightened as I watched the paramedics zip the body bag closed. Mom suddenly broke down again beside me. A sob escaped her lips as she buried her face in Dad’s chest, her shoulders shaking uncontroll
ANNA'S POV The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual. For a moment, I just lay there staring at the ceiling, letting everything that had happened yesterday slowly return to my mind. The video. The chaos at the ceremony. Ryan leaving. Isabel’s sudden reappearance and her perfect little act. My jaw tightened slightly. I still hadn’t forgotten the way she removed my hand from her shoulder. That single moment had confirmed what my instincts had already been telling me. She hadn’t changed. Not even a little. I sat up slowly, running a hand through my hair as I took a deep breath. Today was the day I would confirm everything. If my suspicion was right, Isabel had made a mistake by coming back into this house. And today, I would find it. I got out of bed and stepped into the hallway. The house was quiet, but as I walked downstairs, a smell suddenly caught my attention. Food. Fresh food. I frowned slightly and followed the smell toward the kitchen. And what I saw there almo
ANNA'S POV At this point I needed a glass of water to calm my nerves, my throat was dry and I wasn’t thinking straight. I walked straight towards the water dispenser, grabbing a small plastic cup on my way. The once lively venue now looked strangely empty, like a party that had ended too suddenly. Chairs were slightly out of place. And the more I thought about it, the more one person kept appearing in my mind. Isabel. I was just about to walk toward my family again when I suddenly saw her. She walked in from the opposite side of the hall like nothing had happened. Like she had just stepped out for a moment and returned. My eyes narrowed slightly. There she was. Acting completely normal. Isabel’s expression looked confused as she approached us, glancing around the room as if she had no idea what had just taken place here. “What happened?” she asked, looking between all of us. “Why is everyone leaving? Why did the ceremony end so early?” Her tone sounded inno
ANNA'S POV The moment Ryan and the others finally left the hall, it felt like all the air in the room changed. A few minutes ago the place had been filled with murmurs, whispers, and the heavy weight of people watching a scandal unfold right in front of them. Now, most of the guests were either quietly leaving or standing in small groups, talking in hushed voices as if they were afraid to say anything too loudly. I stood where I was, my arms folded across my chest, trying my best to keep myself calm. Trying. Because the truth was, I was furious. Not the kind of loud anger that made someone scream or throw things. No. Mine was quieter than that. It burned slowly, sitting deep in my chest, mixing with disappointment and exhaustion. Today was supposed to be perfect. I had planned every single detail of this ceremony carefully. Every speech, every arrangement, every guest on that list had a reason to be here. I had imagined how proud my parents would feel watching everything go sm
MELISSA'S POV I didn’t realize how quiet the world could be until I stepped out of the police station that night. The air outside felt colder than it should have been, and for a moment I just stood there, staring at nothing in particular. People were passing by, cars were moving along the road, life was still going on as if nothing had happened. But for me, everything had just collapsed in a matter of hours. James had been taken away in handcuffs. Our house was no longer ours. And the life I had carefully built for myself… was slipping out of my hands. I let out a slow breath and rubbed my temples, trying to calm the storm in my head. The officer’s words were still ringing loudly in my ears. All properties owned by James Reed have been seized. Which meant the apartment, the accounts, everything tied to him… gone. I know he basically didn’t have much left but still.. And since most of the things in my life were connected to James in one way or another, that meant I had practic
ANNA'S POV “A vacation? To where and why?” I asked, my brows furrowing slightly as I looked between my parents. “Well, we were thinking of Germany or Russia,” my mom said with a small smile. “We haven’t really made a decision yet, we wanted you to pick.” My lips parted slightly in disbelief. “I
ANNA'S POV For a moment, my whole mind just stopped working. I stared at the woman standing in front of me like she had completely lost her mind. From what she just said, there’s every reason to believe she’s crazy. I didn’t even realize when a short, hard laugh escaped my lips. It came out lo
ANNA'S POV “How are you feeling now?” the voice that had been beside me all through today said softly. My head lifted slightly, my heavy eyelids fighting to open. I saw my mom sitting close to the bed, and beside her, the man who had been in the room earlier was now awake too. The dull light from
ANNA'S POV "So, you believe me now?” the woman said to me, her calm voice carrying a hint of hope. “Not even close,” I replied sharply. “I’d first like to see my mom, my real mom.” The look on her face shifted, just slightly. Her brows drew together as her fingers brushed her temple, and she l







