Jason
Did I just hear right?The fall?For a moment, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even process what had just slipped from Celeste’s mouth.The blood in my veins ran cold. My mind screamed that it wasn’t possible, that maybe I had heard wrong, but my ears didn’t lie.Celeste had just admitted to plotting against Skylar. She just did!I forced myself to breathe. My hands curled into fists at my sides as I struggled to regain my composure. I couldn’t lose control now, not when everything I had worked for was finally unraveling.Taking a deep breath, I steadied my voice and asked carefully, “What exactly did you do, Celeste?”Her face was wet with tears, her whole body trembling as she sobbed. “I… I was scared, Jason. I was scared that Skylar would take my place in Father’s and Mother’s hearts. I thought… I thought if she came back into the family, if she gained their love again, I would lose everything. So I… I planCole When I got back home from the office, I was completely worn out; body, mind, soul. The entire day had been one long blur of work, meetings, and calls, but it wasn’t the paperwork that drained me the most. It was Jason. The quarrel we had earlier in the morning still troubled me. Jason had no idea how hard this was. No idea of the sacrifices I was making. He thought everything was simple… hand the evidence to the police, watch Amelia get investigated, done. But nothing was simple about this case. It went deeper than he could even imagine. It wasn’t just about Amelia. There were other strings, other shadows, things that had to be handled carefully. One wrong step, and all of it would fall apart. I had managed, barely, to calm him down, to convince him to give me a little more time before running off to the police himself. It hadn’t been easy at all, and I knew I had to act even faster. As I
Skylar After my brief conversation with Jason, I told Ingrid that I wanted to head out to the garden for a while. Ingrid’s face brightened. “Alright then,” she said gently. “I’ll head to the kitchen and make you some chicken stew. Didn’t you say yesterday that you’d been craving it?” I froze for a moment, blinking. How did she even know that? Yesterday, when I spoke with Mother over the phone, I had casually mentioned it. Just a passing comment, nothing serious. And yet here was Ingrid, offering to make it for me. My lips curved into a small smile. My heart warmed. “Thank you, Ingrid. Really, thank you. That’s so thoughtful of you.” I even offered to help, thinking it would keep me occupied. But she waved her hand quickly, shooing me off. “No, no, none of that. You just go and relax out there. I’ll handle everything. It’ll taste better if you sit out there in the garden and let m
Skylar“You have to watch her closely,” Dr. Nathaniel said. “No late nights, no stressful conversations, no work and no overthinking. Skylar needs peace of mind more than anything. Her body has gone through trauma, but her mind…” he paused, adjusting his glasses, “…her mind must heal too. Limit visitors. Give her nutritious meals. And most importantly, listen when she wants to talk.”Mother nodded like a student before her teacher. “Of course, Doctor. We will follow every instruction, one after the other. Not a single thing will be missed. I promise you that.”Cole, who had been standing beside her with his arms folded, stepped forward and shook the doctor’s hand. “Thank you, Dr. Nathaniel. Really. Thank you for everything you’ve done for my family.”I managed a small smile. “Thank you, Doctor.”In my heart, I was just glad this would be the last time I would hear his lectures inside this white, cold building. I was finally leaving this h
AmeliaThe moment Cole’s car disappeared through the gate, my tears instantly stopped.I clenched my fists in anger and before I could stop myself, grabbed the flower vase on the center table and smashed it to the ground.“Damn you, Celeste!” I hissed, my voice trembling with fury.That spoiled, arrogant brat! She dared to open her stinking, rotten mouth!Margo stepped into the living room, her eyes widening as they darted from the broken vase to my face. “Ms. Amelia, are you… are you alright?”I turned on her sharply. “Did I call for you? Did I send for you? Get out of here!”“I—I’m sorry, Ms. Amelia,” she quickly muttered and fled.I took a deep breath, trying to control my temper, but I just couldn't!Celeste. This was all her fault! This was exactly why working with immature, spoiled brats was so exhausting. She had nearly ruined everything. Everything! I had worked so hard, planned so carefully, la
Cole“Cole?” Amelia's eyes widened in surprise immediately she opened the door and saw me. “I didn't know you were coming.” She moved aside quickly, ushering me in. “Come in, please. Is everything okay?”I walked past her into the living room. The smell of fresh coffee lingered in the air. On the table were a few magazines and a half-finished cup. “How’s Skylar?” she asked quickly, shutting the door and following me. “Is she… is she doing okay? Is the therapy helping her recover? I’ve been so worried.”I stared at her. This was someone I had taken as family, protected her and provided her with nothing but the best. She sounded all concerned about Skylar, but behind her soft voice, behind those questions, I kept hearing Jason’s words. The money transfers. The evidence. Why?Why would Amelia do this?I thought back to the time she had shown Skylar those pictures and videos of me with Luciana. Had her goal always been to
Cole “What?!” The word ripped out of me before I could hold it back. I shot to my feet, my chair screeching loudly against the floor. I couldn’t believe what Jason had just said. Jason, however, didn’t flinch. His face was calm, too calm, though I saw the exhaustion in his eyes. With a heavy sigh, he reached into his briefcase, pulled out a thick folder, and tossed it onto the table between us. I looked at the folder. I couldn’t bring myself to touch it. A small part of me wished Jason would laugh and tell me it was a cruel joke, that he was simply trying to prank me or something. But the way he leaned back in his chair, his expression cold and serious, told me this was no joke. “Go on,” Jason said quietly, “see for yourself.” My throat was dry. My fingers twitched, but I still didn’t move. I looked up at him, hoping for a sign that this wasn’t real. But he only nodded, insisting with his eyes