Chapter 15%
“Of your dead wife!” Lily screeched, hands trembling. “Why the hell are these here?!”
Jason exhaled through his nose, rubbing his temple. “I don’t know, Lily. Maybe because she was my wife and people took pictures of us? Crazy concept.”
Lily’s hands curled into fists. “Don’t you dare play smart with me, Jason. Someone sent them. Someone put them in a box and had them delivered here! What the hell do you think that means?!“).
Jason leaned back in his chair, glancing at the photos. His jaw tensed just slightly. Lily saw it. And it infuriated her
“You don’t even seem bothered!” she snapped.
Jason let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. They’re just photos, Lily”
“They’re not just photos!” Lily shrieked, slamming her palm on the desk. “Do you even hear yourself?! These are pictures of your wife! Your dead wife! My late sister. And someone someone who clearly knows what happened–sent them to you! Don’t you think that’s–oh, I don’t know–fucking terrifying?!”
Jason looked at her, expression unreadable. Who said they know what happened?”
Lily froze.
Jason’s gaze, darkened, “Unless you’re feeling quilty about something?
Lily’s lips parted, but no words came out.X
Jason leaned forward slightly, elbows on the desk, eyes sharp. “You seem a little too panicked, Lily. Why? Because of some old photos? Or because, deep down, you’re worried about something else?”
Lily’s entire body stiffened. “You’re being ridiculous.”
“Am I?” Jason arched a brow. “Because right now, it almost seems like you’re the one with something to hide.”
“I don’t have to stand here and listen to this. She spun on her heel, stomping toward the door-
“Lily, Jason called after her.!
She paused but didn’t turn around.
Jason’s voice was quieter now, slower. If you’re so sure Emma’s dead… why are you so scared?”
Lily’s fingers dug into her palm.
Because she wasn’t scared of Emma being dead.
She was scored that Emma wasn’t.D
LILY’S POVE
I couldn’t stop staring at the goddamn pictures. B
They felt hot in my hands, as if they had been set ablaze the moment (touched them. My nails dug into the glossy prints, nearly tearing them apart, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it–not yet. Not when my entire body was shaking with so much rage that I could barely breathe?
Emma
Fucking Emma.
Even dead, she was still ruining my life!
I stormed into the mansion, my heels clicking furiously against the polished marble floors, echoing through the grand entryway like gunshots. The rage inside me had reached its boiling point, bubbling up my throat like poison, ready to spillover and bum everything in its path. Argh!
I flung my handbag onto the couch with a sharp thud, my breath coming out in short, shallow bursts.%
“Marta!” I snapped, my voice sharp enough to cut glass. “Get me a glass of wine. The expensive one. Now!?
The maid, an older woman with downcast eyes, barely hesitated before scurrying off toward the kitchen. She knew better than to test me when I was like this.
I collapsed onto the couch, my fingers still clenched around the cursed photographs, my knuckles turning white from the force of my grip.
Jason hadn’t even reacted when I threw these at him earlier. He barely even looked at them.
Like they meant nothing to him.
Like I meant nothing him.
My jaw clenched so tightly it ached. I could feel the rage coiling in my chest like a serpent, twisting and twisting until I could hardly contain it. I was so close to getting everything I ever wanted,
I had Jason. I had his name. His love. His power.
And then, out of nowhere, that bitch Semphina Velasquez showed up, and suddenly–suddenly!-Jason started pulling away! Ignoring me.
12:36 PM C
AND WUUI DI INNUDE, BIZI DILA abajista velasquez MUMEU up, anu suuuenny—buuuciny: JODARI DUO teu putiny amayın.
Ignoring me
Avoiding me
That woman, who had no right to walk around with Emma’s face–was ruining everything
I inhaled sharply, my vision going blurry with rage, my breath coming out in uneven bursts.X
I won’t let her win.
I refuse to let her win.
As if on cur, my phone vibrated against the coffee table, the sound piercing through the suffocating silence of the room. I snatched it up without even glancing at the caller ID and pressed it to my ear.
“Mom,” I exhaled, my voice shaking but calculated. “You need to come over. Now”
It didn’t take long before I heard the distinct click–clack of designer heels against marble.
The scent of expensive Chanel No. 5 filled the air, wrapping around me like silk before my mother even stepped into the living room.
“Where is my beautiful daughter?” Isabella cooed, striding in like she owned the place!
She was perfect, as always. A fitted navy blue dress clung to her hourglass figure, her pearl necklace gleamed under the chandelier, and her platinum–blonde hair was styled into a flawless French twist.
She didn’t just walk into a room–she commanded it. And right now? I needed her
Isprang up from the couch and practically threw myself into her arms, playing the role of the devastated daughter to perfection.
“Mom,” I hiccupped, my voice perfectly weak, perfectly heartbroken “It’s happening again.”
She pulled back slightly. Her manicured fingers cupping my face, while her expression perfectly poised. “What is, my love?*%
I bit my lip, let my eyes glisten with unshed tears, and then–with a trembling hand–I shoved the stack of photographs into hers.N
Her expression darkened the moment her eyes landed on them.”
Her gaze flickered over the images–Emma and Jason, smiling, in love–and I saw the subtle twitch in her jaw!
She hated it just as much as I did.
With a click of her tongue, she shook her head, sighing as if the very sight of these pictures offended her. “Why are you with these, darling?”
I let out a dramatic sniffle, dabbing at my perfectly done–up makeup. “Because, Mom. That’s why my baby died!”
Her head snapped up. “What?”
I nodded furiously.
torturing yourself
“Ever since Emma died, I’ve been so guilty.” I sniffled again, my voice breaking at just the right moment. “I was so stressed, so heartbroken, so devastated that I lost my baby!‘!
It was a lie, of course.
I didn’t lose that baby because of stress.§
I got rid of it. Because what the fuck did I want with some screaming brat? Ruining my body? Making me fat and ugly?!
Absolutely not
But my mother didn’t need to know that.
