Chapter 11

I had already made peace with dying tonight anyway.Ever since the day I learned of Basil's murder, the sheer, burning desire for revenge was the only thing that kept me going.My own life was never something I cared to save. My body, my unborn baby, my life... they were nothing more than chips I played on the board to win this game.By now, I was already battered beyond recovery, my heart riddled with gaping holes."Using yourself to punish me... it isn't worth it, Anna," Calvin said with a sigh.He looked exhausted, as if he had aged ten years in a moment. His eyes drifted toward the kitchen, landing on the natural gas line I had intentionally left open.But it was already too late.I produced a lighter and flicked the wheel under his horrified gaze. The gas ignited instantly, detonating the room in a blinding roar as flames engulfed everything.I didn't fully understand how I survived.In that split second, it seemed that Calvin had ripped the lighter from my hand and shove

Chapter 12

[I busted my ass off working just to rent a small apartment. Annie could focus entirely on her studies.][Annie gets such amazing grades. Every time I went to her parent-teacher conferences, pretending to be her big brother, I felt so proud. She really is the best.][It's Annie's birthday today. What should I get her? Man, I honestly have no clue what teenage girls like. In the end, I picked out a globe with a girl singing in the snow.[When Annie opened it, she was so happy, saying it was the best birthday gift she'd ever received. But I felt so guilty. Compared to other girls who got pretty dresses, I could give her so little.[For the first time in my life, I hated how useless I was. But what could I do? Even my own sister was adopted years ago, lost forever. I have no parents, no money, and no future. I'm so sorry, Annie.][Saw some guy following Annie today. I blew a fuse and stormed over, ready to beat him up. When he asked who I was, I told him I was her big brother.[His

Chapter 13

I chose to settle down in that quiet coastal town.My days were spent writing novels while studying independently for college entrance exams. I wanted to get my life trajectory back on track—the very life that had been derailed by Calvin.It was what Basil would have wanted for me.A year later, a mail landed in my inbox, accompanied by a massive wire transfer into my bank account.The letter read: [Annie, allow me to call you that one last time.[I know that by the time you read this letter, I'll already be dead. I'm sorry. The truth is that I knew everything all along, but I chose to play along anyway.[Maybe your acting was just that convincing, or maybe I was holding onto a selfish, delusional sliver of hope—that over those four years, it wasn't all just an act for you, and that maybe you felt a tiny thread of genuine affection for me.[Never mind. I was fooling myself. I failed you, and I hurt that boy.[Before I met you and before I fell in love with you, I harbored a dee

All Chapters of The Holloway Heir's Caged Bird: Chapter 11 - Chapter 13

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13