Semua Bab Reborn Rich: My Fiancé and Step-Sister Killed Me Once.: Bab 71 - Bab 80

ARDEN I sat at my desk, staring at my computer screen without really seeing it. My mind kept circling back to what I'd walked in on earlier…Rita giving Richard that shoulder massage, her hands on his shoulders like she owned him with that satisfied smile on her face. What did she mean about handling the takeover herself? The phrasing had been odd and specific, like she was talking about something bigger than just a work project. I tried to make sense of it, but before I could dig deeper into that thought, Richard's office door swung open. He stepped out with Rita right behind him, both of them wearing matching smiles that made my stomach turn. Richard clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention, and the office went quiet. People looked up from their computers, conversations died mid-sentence. I felt dread building in my chest like a stone sinking in water. "I have an announcement to make," Richard said loudly, his voice carrying his signature self-important tone,

ARDENI didn't give her a reply or the satisfaction of seeing me react. I just picked up my bag and checked my phone, which was still blowing up with messages from Lucas saying he was almost at the office.I used this as my opportunity. I switched my phone to airplane mode and turned it off completely, cutting off Lucas's increasingly desperate messages. Then I looked at Rita and said, voice flat, "Yeah. I'll be looking forward to dinner."At least now I had a good excuse to avoid Lucas and whatever confrontation he was planning.We all headed to a restaurant, a mid-range place that was trying too hard to be upscale with its dim lighting and expensive-looking but ultimately cheap decorations. Everyone piled in, and alcohol was ordered immediately. Rita raised her glass for a toast, and everyone drank, caught up in the false cheer of the evening.Everyone except me.Rita noticed immediately, her eyes zeroing in on my empty glass. There was an edge to her voice when she spoke, a sharpn

ARDEN I sat on the cold tile floor, back against the wall, head still spinning from the violent vomiting. The taste of bile lingered in my mouth and my hands were shaking, but not from the food poisoning. It was the realization slowly taking shape in my mind that made me tremble, like puzzle pieces finally clicking into place to reveal a picture I didn't want to see. I thought about the incidents again, the way the memories had glitched and overlapped in my head just moments ago. The events were changing, but not in straightforward ways. If everything was truly fated to happen exactly as it should, then why were the details different? Why were the victims changing? Why did some things redirect to my enemies while others still came back to me or took innocent people instead? That meant something. There had to be a pattern here. There had to be a loophole somewhere, some rule I could learn and exploit. The thought struck me like lightning and I scrambled to my feet, igno

ARDENI hit send before I could change my mind or soften the rejection.His response came quickly: (Oh okay, that's fine. Take care of yourself though. Don't forget our appointment Friday.)Right. Friday. The genetic testing appointment. (Yes, I remember.)I set the phone down and stared at it for a moment. The uncomfortable feeling in my chest persisted but I deliberately pushed it away, focusing on what actually mattered right now.Rita and Lucas. The trap…and redirection.I thought about Rita and what she wanted. Rita didn't genuinely want things for their own value. Rita wanted things because ARDEN had them. It had always been about competition and taking what belonged to me.Work projects… Credit for ideas, Attention from supervisors, and ultimately Lucas. Everything I had, Rita wanted to steal.If I showed interest in Jett, if I started dating him or even seemed to be moving in that direction, Rita would immediately want him too. Lucas would become "the one Arden doesn't want

ARDENI couldn't breathe or move. I just stood there like a deer in headlights while my brain screamed at me to do something, say something, explain somehow."Are you cold?" Lucas asked, noticing me shaking."Yes. The breeze—" My voice came out thin.He draped his jacket over my shoulders in a gesture that probably looked sweet and caring to anyone watching, and Jett was watching the whole thing. His face had gone carefully blank now but his jaw was tight, his hands clenched at his sides.The men he was with gestured toward the parking area, saying something about heading out. He finally broke eye contact with me, turned back to them, nodded at whatever they were saying. But his entire posture was stiff.I grabbed Lucas's hand and started walking fast toward where we'd parked."Hey, slow down!" Lucas laughed, stumbling slightly as I pulled him along. "What's gotten into you?"I forced myself to match his pace, to stop practically dragging him like some kind of maniac. "Sorry. Just eag