Chapter 101

Claire wasn’t having any of it. She cut her off with a wave of her hand. “Enough. I call it like I see it, so don’t try that act with me. Why are you bringing your parents into this? What, are you saying your mom and dad put you up to all this today?”

“No-!” Mia sputtered, completely lost for words.

And just like that, Amber finally saw her old friend for who she truly was.

The sky was shrouded in gray, heavy clouds blocking out every trace of light.

Amber stood there, frozen and motionless. Not far away, Claire lingered, looking like she wanted to say something, but she never walked over.

She knew Amber needed to accept the truth on her own.

But then she thought to herself, ‘It’s not like this is her only friend in the world. Is she really going to let this get to her that much? Doesn’t she still have me?

Claire, have it all: looks, figure, brains. I am the heiress of the Quinn family–the second most powerful among the five major corporations in Vallaris–top five in my grade, and class president. How could I possibly be any less than someone as fake and pretentious as Mia?’

Amber’s indifference was the one thing her money couldn’t buy.

“Miss, Master Miles is here. He’s asking you to get in the car,” the driver said, interrupting her thoughts.

Claire’s gaze lingered on Amber. The little cowlick on Amber’s head drooped, and her eyes had lost all their usual shine.

Ebert also came to pick Amber up, but halfway through the drive, she suddenly asked to get out. Ebert had no choice but to pull over.

Amber glanced back at him and said quietly, “I want to walk alone for a while.”

“Miss Amber, but…” Ebert hesitated.

Amber had strode away without looking back.

Sienna came back to the cultural street once again. “Miss Enna, we’ve encountered difficulties,” Reno reported, the lollipop clicking against his teeth as he spoke. “We’ve confirmed Miss Winifred’s presence in the district, but locating her has proven impossible. She’s got great counter-surveillance skills. Our previous encounter only occurred because she permitted it.”

He glanced at Sienna, then plucked the candy from his mouth and flicked it toward a nearby trash bin, the perfect arc ending with a metallic clink.

Then he added, “Miss Enna, this is the information I managed to dig up. Some of it’s been hidden, so it’ll take a bit more time to crack.”

Sienna took the file and scanned it. [Winifred, 22 years old.]

The words “Problem Girl” glared up at her in harsh, black typeface. Smoking. Fighting. Defiant. Expelled. A handful of words, sharp as shattered glass, and suddenly her chest was too tight to breathe.

When she left, Winifred was twelve. By fifteen, she had run away for good. In all the years since, she never came back to the Hart family home.

Sienna wondered what had happened to her during those three years at home.

“She’s obviously avoiding us on purpose. Let’s go,” Sienna said, her gaze sweeping across the mottled, multicolored walls before she turned and walked away.

‘Winifred, you know I’m back, but you still don’t want to see me, do you? Maybe you hate me,’ she admitted to herself.

A boy lurking in the shadows hurried back after watching them leave.

He sprinted upstairs, slipped into a room, and announced, “Winifred, they’re gone.”

Winifred didn’t turn around. Her head was buried deep in a gray hoodie, bare legs catching the last rays of the sunset. The slender, delicate figure was shrouded in hues of deep red and soft yellow. A cigarette butt slipped from her fingers, and she ground it out hard beneath her black combat boots.

“Got it,” she said.

Vivian had barely exited the company building when a figure stepped into her path. Her head jerked up. When she recognized the man, her face went bone-white, as if all the blood had rushed from her veins.

“Vivian, it’s been a long time. Surely you haven’t forgotten me?” Noah said with a wide, almost greasy smile, his eyes glued to her.

Years had only sharpened her beauty, that porcelain-perfect face now enough to tighten his throat with wanting.

Noah reached out, trying to touch her, but Vivian jerked away on instinct, a wave of old trauma crashing over her.

He had once tried to force himself on her.

“Uncle Noah, what do you want? I’m telling you, I’m not afraid of you anymore!” Vivian shot back, her voice shaking with anger.

With that, she turned and bolted toward a quieter, less crowded area.

“Vivian, don’t run. I just want to talk, catch up a little–wait up for me!” Noah called after her, his voice oozing with fake friendliness.

Hearing him gaining on her, Vivian flashed a wicked grin–there was no fear left in her eyes, only a fierce thrill at what was about to happen.

She lured him into a secluded corner, then spun around, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at him.

“Uncle Noah, what exactly do you want? I’m warning you–take one more step and I’ll call the police,” Vivian snapped, her voice shaking with anger.

Chapter 101

“Vivian, surely you remember me? I simply wanted to reconnect.” His lips curled into a smile that showed too many teeth. “Linda’s been quite insistent we meet–says we’d make a lovely pair.”

A rasping laugh escaped him as he advanced, shoulders hunched in a mockery of embrace. His arms spread wide. The streetlamp caught the wet gleam in his eyes as they locked onto hers, unblinking.

“Vivian, it’s been ages—did you miss me? Why don’t we play that little game from back in the day, hmm?” His voice was oily and full of sick anticipation.

Vivian’s grip tightened around the bottle hidden behind her back. The second Noah got close, she let out a sharp hiss and sprayed him right in the face.

Noah howled in pain, clutching at his burning eyes, unable to open them. “Vivian, you little bitch! What the hell did you just spray me with?”

Blinded and furious, he lashed out, swinging his arms wildly as he tried to grab her.

Vivian shoved the spray back into her bag, snatched up a brick from the ground, and smashed it down hard on his kneecap.

“Ah!” Noah let out another blood-curdling scream as he collapsed to the ground, clutching his leg and cursing in agony.

“Vivian! Vivian! Are you mad? How dare you do this to me!”

Vivian spotted a hose nearby, yanked it over, and blasted him with water without mercy. Lana had told her this kind of spray got way worse with water, and now Noah felt like his eyes and face were being set on fire.

The pain cut straight to the bone, making him wish he were dead.

“How’s that feel, Uncle Noah? Still want to reminisce? It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” Vivian sneered, her voice cold.

There was a dark, almost crazed glint in her eyes as she licked her lips. If Noah had run into her a month ago, maybe she’d be the one lying on the ground right now–not him.

Too bad for him.

“Vivian, what the hell do you want, you bitch? My only regret is not screwing you back then–should’ve made your life a living hell, you filthy whore!” Noah snarled, spitting out every word like poison.

He figured she couldn’t take the abuse, so he kept hurling filthy insults at her, getting nastier by the second.

“Vivian, that year–you’d just turned eighteen, right? I tore your clothes off with my own hands, right there in your room. You kept screaming and crying… what a thrill,” Noah said, his voice oozing with perverse satisfaction.

Vivian fixed him with a bloodshot, murderous glare.

Some people were just revolting.

Vivian was just about to pull the knife from her bag when, with a heavy thud, someone smashed Noah in the head.

“Run!”

Vivian was still in shock when Amber suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the alley.

Chapter 101

On the way, she finally realized who it was, her heart pounding in her chest.

After they left, Sienna and Lana arrived at the scene.

Vivian and Amber were well-protected with bodyguards lurking in the shadows, close enough to intervene if needed. The instant Sienna saw Vivian leading Noah into position, she understood the game and signaled the guards to hold their positions.

Now, she stood over the groaning man Amber had felled with a bottle.

Her gaze, frostbitten and detached, flickered with something almost like approval. Or perhaps it was something darker, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

She reached out, and Lana quickly pressed a dagger into her hand.

With a single, ruthless motion, Sienna brought the blade down. The man jerked on the ground, but Lana slammed her foot onto his mouth, making sure he couldn’t make a sound.

A drop of blood slid from the dagger’s tip, landing right beside Sienna’s blue high heels. Her azure dress billowed in the wind as she strode away.

The man’s lower body was drenched in blood, crimson slowly seeping across the gray-brown ground–like a vivid red spider lily blooming in the midst of decay.