Chapter 3

It drizzled in the early morning.

I put on a black dress and stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the grey sky outside.

"Donna Quinn, the car is ready." George stood at the door, followed by two Soldati.

I nodded, took an umbrella, and walked out of the manor. The two Soldati sent by Sebastian flanked me.

The car stopped at the entrance of the cemetery in the western suburbs.

I walked up to my parents' tombstones and slowly knelt down.

White daisies were placed in front of the tombstones. The Soldati stood five meters away, holding the umbrella and watching my every move.

"Dad, Mom, I came to see you," I muttered, gently touching my father's name on the tombstone. "I'm sorry for letting you down. I failed to protect the Scott family and myself."

The sound of the rain grew louder, almost drowning out my voice.

Just then, a tall man in a black windbreaker held an umbrella and walked to the neighboring tombstone. He bent over and placed a bunch of white roses, slowly and devoutly.

It was Ethan.

I did not look up and kept speaking in a low tone. Ethan finished paying his respect and turned to go. As he walked by me, his foot slipped on the wet moss, and he bumped into my shoulder hard.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

In that moment, a microcapsule was slipped into the inner pocket of my trench coat.

"It's alright," I said, helping myself to my feet against the tombstone and brushing the dirt off my clothes.

Ethan nodded, opened his umbrella, and disappeared into the rain.

The Soldati assumed it was an accident and did not think much of it.

I knelt for another half hour until my knees were numb with cold before finally getting up to leave.

It was noon when I returned to the manor.

I had just reached the master bedroom door when I noticed it was ajar, and I could hear Winnie's voice from inside.

I pushed the door open.

Winnie stood in front of my dressing table. She wore an emerald pendant around her neck; it was a keepsake from my mother. I rarely wore it, keeping it locked in a safe. Only Sebastian and I knew the combination.

"Donna Quinn is back?" Winnie smiled smugly when she saw me. "Don Quinn told me to wear it to the banquet tomorrow night. The color is beautiful; it goes perfectly with my dress."

I stood in the doorway, staring at the pendant around her neck. It was the one my mother had placed around my neck before she died. She held my hand, telling me to keep it safe.

"Take it off," I walked over.

Winnie froze, her smile stiffening. "Why are you so fierce, Donna Quinn… I'll give it back to you."

She reached for her clasp, but her fingers "accidentally" slipped. The emerald pendant flew from her hand and slammed to the floor.

With a crisp crack, the pendant shattered into pieces and scattered across the floor.

Looking at the wreckage, my blood froze.

Slap! I raised my hand and slapped Winnie across the face. I used a lot of force, so Winnie's fair cheek instantly turned red and swollen.

"Ah! I didn't mean it!" Winnie covered her face and screamed as tears poured out.

Footsteps came from the stairwell.

Sebastian strode into the room. Seeing the mess on the floor and Winnie crying, he shielded her behind him before turning around to look at me. "Nicola! What's wrong with you? It's just an old pendant."

I crouched down, my hands trembling as I picked up the shards. The sharp edges cut my fingertips, dripping blood onto the emerald fragments. "Sebastian, have you forgotten?"

I looked up at him, adding hoarsely, "This is a keepsake from my mother."

Sebastian stiffened, a flicker of panic in his eyes. However, he quickly looked at Winnie behind him, and that guilt vanished instantly. He impatiently loosened his tie. "Haven't I bought you enough jewelry all these years you've been the Donna?"

I said nothing and only stared intently at the shards on the floor.

Sebastian pulled out his checkbook, scribbled down a string of numbers, and threw it at me. "Alright, here's five million dollars; enough to buy ten of these junks. Take the money and go back to your room. Don't get in Winnie's way."

The check fluttered to the ground, joining the shattered emerald pieces.

Holding Winnie in his arms, Sebastian slammed the door and left.

I knelt on the floor, picking up the shattered emerald pieces one by one. Blood flowed from my fingertips, staining my palms red.

Nicola Scott would not exist again after tonight.