Chapter 3

By the time I reached my dad's house, Steven was already directing workers to tear down the walls.

"Stop!"

I ran over and stood in front of the wall.

When Steven saw me, he instinctively pulled Julie behind him.

"Kelly, I thought you said all you cared about was money. I've already paid you this much. Isn't that enough?

"Julie likes this piece of land. The money has been transferred. What more do you want?"

I glared at him. My entire body was shaking.

"Steven, you jerk!"

Steven looked at me without a trace of emotion. "Kelly, this is what you taught me.

"You're the one who told me everything, including feelings, has a price."

Julie peeked out from behind him. There was a wooden urn in her arms. Her eyes welled with tears when she spoke. "Forget it, Steven. King was like a son to me, but at the end of the day, he was only a dog. Using Kelly's dad's property for his burial wouldn't look very good if people found out."

After she said that, she dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. The pit bull by her feet had a studded collar. It sniffed noisily on the ground.

Steven lowered his gaze to the urn in Julie's arms. His voice became even colder. "Move aside, Kelly."

I clenched my jaw hard. "In your dreams."

He slowly walked to my side and leaned forward. His lips nearly brushed my ear. His tone was gentle, almost affectionate even. "Nora turns five next month. The Callister family is still investigating who killed their son. If we hand someone over, how long do you think a little girl could last? Kelly, I can take the blame myself, but only if you cooperate."

I felt my entire body go numb. His words sent a chill down my spine.

Three years ago, during a feud between our families, the Callister family's son had come to seize the docks. Steven was the one who pulled the trigger. Fewer than three people knew the truth. Every word he spoke now felt like a knife jabbing into my chest.

He wanted to use Nora as a bargaining chip. He was willing to sacrifice his own daughter.

"Nora is your daughter too!"

Steven straightened up and smiled. He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. His fingertips grazed my forehead with a tenderness that completely contradicted his words. "That's exactly why I'm discussing it with you first. Kelly, it's a piece of land in exchange for your daughter's life. Aren't you the one who's always so good with your calculations?"

It felt like someone had poured a bucket of cold water all over me. My limbs shook uncontrollably while images of Nora flashed through my mind. I could picture her running in the yard with her pigtails bouncing. She'd turn around and call out to me in the most enduring way.

The crowbar slipped from my fingers. It hit the ground with a loud clang.

My legs felt heavy. Slowly and mechanically, I stepped aside.

Julie nudged the pit bull with her foot. "Sunny. Go pick a nice spot for King."

The dog immediately sprang into action. It charged through the hole in the wall and disappeared into the old house. Before I could even react, I heard something from inside.

My dad's urn had been knocked to the ground. The lid rolled across the floor.

Gray-white ashes scattered everywhere.

"No!"

I ran inside like a madwoman. My foot caught on broken bricks, and I fell hard. My forehead slammed into a jagged section of wall. A burst of red filled my vision.

The dog saw the ashes and became even more excited. It leaped forward before pawing and stomping wildly on the ashes.

Julie frantically ran after it and grabbed its collar before pulling it back. "Sunny! Stop that! That's Kelly's dad's ashes. What if you get your paws dirty?"

The harder she pulled, the more the cup of hot coffee in her hand tilted. The entire cup of coffee eventually spilled onto the floor. The liquid mixed with the ashes and turned into a muddy gray-brown sludge.

"Oh no!" Julie took two dramatic steps backward. Her eyes glistened with undisguised satisfaction. "Kelly, I swear I didn't mean to disrespect your father. What are we going to do now?"

As she backed away, she conveniently fell into Steven's arms.

"Kelly!" When Steven saw the blood covering my face, his expression finally changed. He hurried toward me to help me up. "Where did you get hit? Are you dizzy?"

I pushed his hand away. I picked up a broken brick from the ground before charging at Julie and her dog.

"I'll kill you both!"

Before my fingers could even touch Julie's sleeve, a brutal kick slammed into my stomach. I was sent flying. My back crashed into a broken doorframe. The impact felt like it crushed every organ in my body.

Steven lowered his leg. His expression was dark with fury as he positioned himself protectively in front of Julie. The way he looked at me was the way one might look at a lunatic.

"Kelly, I think you've completely lost your mind. How dare you lay a hand on Julie? Do I need to have you thrown into the family's interrogation room so you can cool off for a few days?"