Chapter 4

Early the next morning, I went to Callum's room for one last look, all my luggage in tow. Breathing in that familiar scent made me feel like his adorable little face was still right in front of me.

Just then, Shawn walked in, his leather shoes clicking against the floor. He glanced around, then smiled in smug satisfaction. "Your little brat is dead. You really are heartbroken, huh? But honestly… I feel pretty damn good about it."

I froze. Shawn knew everything. It was precisely because he knew that he'd accused me of making things up when I'd gone to beg Eunice for money!

Seeing me tremble in shock, he grew even more smug, and his face twisted. "Yes, I wanted to get rid of him. He kept clinging to Eunice and calling her 'Mom.' I got sick of hearing it. Now, Eunice can spend more time with me."

I clenched my fists tightly as my eyes burned red. A tidal wave of hatred threatened to drown me. By the time I realized what I was doing, my fist had already slammed into Shawn's face.

"How could you be so evil, Shawn?" I roared.

Instead of getting angry, he merely laughed and wagged a finger at me. "That's far from evil. Don't think you can go tattling to Eunice, Finn. I'll reunite you with your precious son right now."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he pulled a gas canister out of his pocket and hurled it hard toward the space behind me.

I instinctively turned to look. In that instant, Shawn slipped out and locked the door.

The toxic gas slowly spread through the room. Every breath felt like inhaling razor blades. The pain was unbearable. I tried smashing the window, but of course Eunice had installed shatterproof glass. Even when my hands were covered in blood, the window remained intact…

As I began to slip into unconsciousness, I heard Eunice's voice from outside.

It was like grabbing onto a lifeline. I pounded on the door with everything I had left, coughing so hard it felt like my organs were about to come up.

"Eunice, there's poison in the air! Help me!"

"What's going on?"

Sure enough, her footsteps drew closer, but a second later, Shawn stopped her. "The housekeeper cleans three times a day. Where would the poison even have come from? He's just mad I've been hogging your time, so he's making stuff up to keep you here."

Hearing that, Eunice pulled her hand back from the doorknob, looking annoyed. She slapped the door impatiently and said, "Enough of this nonsense, Finn. If you want to keep acting, then go right ahead. I won't be back for the next three days!"

The gas seeped into my skin. My throat felt like it had caught fire. I couldn't make a single sound anymore. I kept knocking weakly on the door, clinging to life. But every time I did, Shawn would speak, covering the sound.

"Eunice, let's go for a short island vacation. You haven't traveled with me in ages."

"Alright, alright. You're even more into these things than Callum is."

Their cheerful, lighthearted voices grew fainter. I finally collapsed onto the floor, completely spent, and shut my eyes.

…

Three days later, Eunice returned from her trip. She opened the door, surprised to find the house empty.

After a few seconds of confusion, she remembered what I had said and called Connie. "Mom, did Finn take Callum over for a short stay with you?"

"No. They haven't been here," Connie answered.

Eunice was taken aback. The next second, a cremation notice popped up on her phone.