Chapter 26: Stop Using Idiots

Winnie listened to her mother, but dissatisfaction still coiled in her chest. “Mom, I can’t shake this feeling that Catherine isn’t the person you described. She acts dangerous, sure—and everything you said checks out—but her moves are too deliberate. She’s calculated. And tell me, how did she dodge every trap we set? Don’t say it’s Andy’s men in the mansion; they’re not that powerful.”

Beatrice, calmer than her daughter, answered evenly, “Have you considered that the people in the CCTV control room aren’t his men? Let this go. I’ll handle her my way. I won’t let her derail our plans. She’s a moment in our lives, nothing more. I promise you, Winnie.”

Winnie studied her mother, then asked cautiously, “Even if she marries Andy—are you still not going to spare her?”

Beatrice scoffed. “Because of her, your father never wanted another child. I won’t let her be. Even if she dies, I’ll make sure she doesn’t find happiness—not even in the land of the dead.”

Seeing the determination in her mother’s eyes, the tight line of her lips, the anger etched across her face, Winnie felt oddly reassured. From the moment Alicia appeared in the house, she had despised her and wished for nothing more than her disappearance.

“I love you, Mommy,” Winnie said brightly, turning to leave with a small smile.

But the instant she stepped into the hall, the smile vanished. Her gaze cooled, her face hardened. She couldn’t afford to take chances.

She tapped rapidly on her phone for a few minutes, then left the house.

Alicia had no idea what the mother-daughter pair were plotting. After making adjustments and giving directives, she moved through each department, checking on the staff under her. When she glanced at her wristwatch and saw it was closing time, she walked out through the company gate. Outside, her eyes narrowed as she scanned the street.

Before she could move on, Kane stepped out behind her, quickening his pace to catch up. “I’ve noticed movement out there,” he warned. “I think an assassin is targeting someone. I can’t tell who yet. Be careful.”

“It’s me,” Alicia replied, calm and steady.

Kane stopped, stunned—more by her composure than by the revelation itself. She wasn’t the least bit rattled.

“You should go back inside,” he urged. “My men and I will flush him out and eliminate the threat immediately.”

Alicia didn’t answer. She simply walked away without looking back.

Kane exhaled, troubled. “Miss, please—be careful,” he called after her.

Alicia didn’t slow. She walked straight down the road and past the beggar. As she stepped toward the intersection, a car suddenly lunged out of the traffic, angling directly for her.

The driver’s eyes were cold, his grip hardening on the wheel as he accelerated.

Alicia, who had been pretending not to notice, turned at the last moment and flashed him a calm, almost playful smile.

“Go to hell,” the driver sneered.

When the hood was inches from her knees, Alicia sprang upward, tucked, and flipped cleanly over the car. She landed behind it in a light crouch as the vehicle plowed into an apartment facade. Glass exploded from the windshield; the crumpled hood buckled, spiderweb cracks racing across the wall.

The driver tumbled out onto the pavement, groaning and trying to push himself up. Alicia strode over, looked down at him with detached disdain, then knelt and pressed a few precise points along his shoulders and ribs. His limbs went slack, immobilized.

Pedestrians stood frozen, mouths open. It wasn’t the crash that stunned them most—it was the way Alicia had vaulted a speeding car as if it were nothing. They didn’t seem to breathe again until she slipped into the crowd and vanished.

“Wooo! She’s a superwoman!”

“Call an ambulance—the driver’s hurt!”

“Where’d the lady go?”

By then, Alicia was already in a taxi heading home. When she stepped into the house, Alexander was there, restless and pale. The moment he saw her, he sprang up, crossed the room in three strides, and pulled his daughter into a fierce hug.

Alicia stiffened, uneasy with the sudden closeness. Relief washed through her only when he let go.

“Are you okay, Cathy?” he asked, searching her face.

“What could happen to me?” she replied, cool and steady.

The mother and daughter who were usually bustling around the house were nowhere to be seen. Hearing Alicia’s assurance, Alexander exhaled and nodded. “Go up to your room. We’ll have dinner later.”

Alicia didn’t ask how he knew about the near-accident. She went upstairs, washed, and came back down to eat with the family.

The moment they finished eating, Winnie tried to bolt, but Alexander cut in, his voice cold.

“Sit down.”

Though she was desperate to leave, Winnie grudgingly sank back into her seat. Alexander’s gaze swept over the mother and daughter, icy and full of contempt. He was clearly irritated.

“Check the news,” he said, his tone hard with anger. “There was an accident today. I pray nothing like that ever happens to anyone in this family again. But if it does, I won’t spare anyone.”

With that, he stood and left in fury. Alicia glanced at the pair with tired disdain and walked out as well.

Once they were alone, Beatrice turned to her daughter, disapproval burning in her eyes. “Don’t ever do this again,” she warned.

Winnie muttered under her breath, sulking. “Mom, I can’t keep putting up with those high-and-mighty show-offs. Just seeing her makes my skin crawl.”

Beatrice snorted. “You won’t see her if you’re in jail.”

Winnie’s face drained of color. Beatrice leaned in, voice low and stern. “Your father is ruthless. Don’t be fooled by his kind face and charitable gestures. He didn’t become one of the most feared businessmen by being a good man. He might overlook this once, but not again. Next time, he’ll make you regret it.”

She stood, delivering her final warning. “And stop using incompetent fools for something so important.”