I sat quietly, observing everything around me.

After about two hours, the bus pulled into a rest stop. The tour guide told everyone to stretch their legs, use the restroom, grab some snacks.

Freya wandered over to the snack area while I headed for the bathroom.

When I came out, I spotted her chatting with a strange man. He looked to be in his forties, wearing a bulky down jacket. The moment he saw me approach, Freya's smile vanished.

"Harper, you're out! This is Jake—I just met him. He's heading to the ski resort too."

The man nodded at me, his eyes sliding over me from head to toe.

Back on the bus, Freya was noticeably quieter, no longer chattering away like before. I noticed Jake had boarded our bus too, settling into the last row.

I quietly opened that post.

The most recent update was from ten minutes ago:

The plan starts! Going skiing with my annoying older cousin soon, then I'll make her fall and get hurt!

I arranged for a local bachelor to "save" her, hehe~ Then things will happen between them...

I'll tell Mom and Dad, and they won't want her anymore! Best case, she marries him and stays here~

The comments section was full of praise:

OP, brilliant move! Solves the problem AND does a good deed!

Is that local bachelor reliable? Don't let something actually happen.

The poster replied: Don't worry, I asked around. He's in his forties and still can't get a wife, family's dirt poor. My cousin's a bit old but decent-looking, and she's from the city—he'll definitely be willing.

I even had him record a video~

After it's done, she'll have to stay here and marry him. She'll never go back. Perfect solution!

My whole body went cold.

So it wasn't to take my life—it was to ruin it.

Freya was only twenty. How could she have such vicious thoughts?

I glanced toward Mom and Dad in the front row. They were talking quietly, occasionally letting out soft laughs.

Did they know? Or was this the whole family's plan?

After arriving at the ski resort, we went to rent equipment.

I deliberately stayed behind Freya. Whatever color ski suit she chose, I chose the same. She picked up a pink helmet, and I grabbed an identical one.

"Harper, why are you copying me?" She frowned, annoyed.

I put on the helmet and turned to smile at her. "Even though we're not real sisters, we grew up together—closer than blood."

"Wearing the same thing is so fun!"

Then I turned playfully to Mom and Dad. "Look, don't we look like twins?"

Mom laughed. "You really do! Freya's always been close with her older cousin—now you look even more alike!"

Dad nodded. "Pretty good. Matching sister outfits."

Freya pressed her lips together and said nothing, but displeasure flickered in her eyes.

Fully dressed and standing in the snow, we really were almost impossible to tell apart. Same ski suits, same equipment, same height and build—even the same model skis.

The plan officially began.

Freya pulled me toward the beginner slope to practice. Sure enough, Jake trailed behind us, keeping a distance that was neither too far nor too close.

"Harper, let's check out that area. Fewer people—photos will look better." She pointed toward a fork leading to the intermediate slope.

"Okay." I nodded and followed obediently.

The farther we went, the fewer people there were.

My cousin led the way, picking up speed as she went. When we reached a turn, she suddenly slowed down.

I knew it—this was the spot.

Sure enough, just as I slid up beside her, she spun hard, her snowboard whipping sideways, crashing straight toward me.

I was ready. At the same instant, I twisted my body and dodged, sliding half a meter to the side.

She hadn't expected me to react that fast. The force of her own momentum threw her off balance. With a sharp scream, she tumbled headfirst down the steep slope.

Jake didn't hesitate. He rushed down after that pink figure.

I turned around and slid back the way we'd come, unhurried.

When I reached the beginner run, Mom and Dad were sitting in the café.

Mom waved when she saw me. "Sweetie, where's Freya?"

I pulled off my ski goggles, keeping my expression calm. "She said she wanted to check out the advanced run. Told me to head back first."

Mom frowned. "That girl—why'd she go over there alone?"

I sat down and ordered a hot chocolate. "She'll probably come back after she's had her fun."

Time crawled by.

An hour later, still no sign of her.

Mom started getting anxious. "Why is it taking so long? Nothing happened, right?"

Dad stood up. "I'll go look for her."

We went to the resort's management office together. When the staff heard someone had gone to the advanced run and hadn't returned, they immediately radioed the rescue team.

A few minutes later, a staff member rushed over, face pale. "You… you'd better come see this. Over by the equipment shed…"

We followed him to a prefab storage shed used for backup gear. A crowd had already gathered at the entrance—some whispering, others holding up phones to record.

"Move aside, move aside!" The staff member pushed through.

Mom, Dad, and I squeezed to the front. Before we could process anything, we heard it—suggestive sounds coming from inside the shed.

And the rhythmic creaking of wooden racks.

Mom's face changed instantly. "What is that?"

A middle-aged woman nearby whispered, "In broad daylight—shameless…"

Dad's expression went dark. He strode forward and kicked the flimsy wooden door open.

Bang!