Chapter 3
I couldn't help but follow in my three brothers' footsteps, my heart growing ever more desolate.
Fueled by a storm of rage, the three of them arrived in front of my panic room.
"Cora Harrington, do you think you can escape punishment by hiding in there and not making a sound?"
But not a single sound came from within the panic room.
Jasper's face grew even darker:
"Cora, what are you still pretending for? Come out and kneel to apologize to Chloe!"
"Don't think that by hiding in there, breaking the comms, and ignoring us, you can escape the fact that you betrayed this family!"
Myles's eyes were also blazing with fire, and he spoke with fury:
"Cora, you've really gotten bold, haven't you? You can't stand seeing us treat Chloe well, so you're deliberately using silence to provoke us!"
"Do you really think hiding in the panic room and defying us will make us cave first?"
The panic room remained utterly silent.
Griffin, however, looked at the trembling security guards beside him and spoke coldly:
"What are you all trembling for? Tell me the truth. Is there a secret passage? Did you secretly let her out?"
Jasper snorted.
"With her vile personality, she probably couldn't stand it inside and had you open the door for her after we left."
Myles's eyes showed complete disappointment:
"You're the one who almost ruined the Harrington Group, yet you can't even take responsibility for your mistake. Is this really the sister I knew?"
"Did you really think you were our only sister?"
The butler finally found his voice, though it trembled as he spoke:
"Mr. Griffin, without your orders, we would never dare to let her out!"
"Miss Cora has really been in the panic room for three whole days."
Griffin looked at the still-silent panic room, a flicker of unease crossing his eyes.
He stepped forward and entered the password, but the screen displayed "System Locked."
"Cora Harrington, are you ever going to stop? Did you think that by sabotaging the system from the inside, I'd be helpless?"
I looked at the sturdy alloy door and could only smile bitterly.
As I was suffocating, I had slammed against the door, trying to save myself, thinking only of survival.
But the door to this panic room was exceptionally strong; I couldn't even make a crack. I could only suffocate to death inside.
Brothers, I hope when you see my body, you can find even a sliver of love for me and bury me in the family cemetery.
Griffin grew more agitated. He barked at the head of security, "Activate the emergency protocol! Force open the door!"
With the roar of cutting tools, a crack appeared in the heavy alloy door, and a thick, putrid stench wafted out.
The butler, standing beside them, couldn't stop trembling as he spoke: "That smell... it's the smell of a corpse!"
The other two brothers, still full of rage, also walked up.
"What smell of a corpse? She obviously ran away long ago and threw a rotten animal carcass inside to trick us!"
"Cora Harrington, do you think we're that easy to fool?"
Their patience worn thin, the three brothers surged forward and, with their combined strength, shoved the panic room door wide open.
With a loud bang, the door was violently thrown open, and along with an even stronger stench of decay, the small, dark interior was exposed to everyone.