The funeral was set for three days later. I tried to escape the basement many times but failed every time. Unexpectedly, I was released the next morning.

Pale-faced, I squinted at the sun outside and instinctively curled up.

But the sight that greeted me was the drowsy Anne, who was wearing my treasure pajamas. She was leaning against Lucas's embrace, with the bite mark on the back of her neck, as a testament of their intimacy.

"Anne just woke up and wants breakfast. The house also needs cleaning and her things must be tidied properly. Thank you for your hard work, Nova.” With that, he prepared to take her back to her room.

“Yes, Sir,” my voice remained calm, even though I was treated like a servant.

To maintain superficial peace, I had no choice but to comply. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Anne's lazy expression on the sofa and I gritted my teeth in hatred.

Then by accident, I shattered an exquisite glass cup and the sound brought the two of them over.

“That was my favorite cup! How are you going to pay me back?” Anne’s shrill voice pierced the room and her fake sobs filled the air.

Lucas furrowed his brows and soothed her patiently, "She is probably just careless. She was just trying to cook for you …."

“So what! Lucas, you won't stand up for me and why do you still care about her?” Anne's eyes quickly filled with tears and she looked upset.

Lucas had no other choice but to comply. As punishment, Anne threw all my stuff into the basement and made me live there.

I stood frozen there, gritting my teeth and looked at him with fury. But he only looked at Anne lovingly. "Fine, you can do whatever you want. Are you satisfied now?"

He even had his assistant toss all my belongings into the basement. Seeing me frozen in place, he pulled me aside. “You know her temper. Anne's my only sister. We should give her some slack.”

"Don't worry, Nova. I'll promise to hold a wedding for you. After all, you're the only one in my heart."

After saying that, Anne tugged him away. The two of them sat at the dining table, feasting on the fruit of my labor.

I went alone to the bathroom to tend to the cuts from the broken glass. Blood flowed everywhere, but neither of them realized it.

As tears fell onto the pool of blood, my heart was still as the ripples it made. Once my father was buried, I planned to leave this place of sorrow.

On the day of the funeral, I arrived early. The funeral home was filled with sunflowers, my father's favorite flowers.

As I stared at my father's ashes, I broke down. All the pent-up frustration and pain in my heart poured out. I could not accept the fact that I had lost both of my parents and it was all because of Lucas.

When we were preparing to get engaged, my father thought I was still too young and only my mother gave her blessing.

She worked herself tirelessly to prepare for the wedding, while Lucas shirked every responsibility, leaving me and my mother to handle everything.

Then his career was booming. After rumors of his impending engagement spread, I faced relentless public and private criticism and abuse. I was even stalked and threatened. But he did not care. He only told me not to take it seriously.

And yet the real irony was that when Anne was abroad and threw a tantrum because her classmate gossiped about her rude act, his concern for her made him so moved that he shed tears for her.

When our wedding invitations were sent out, as the final stage of our engagement, Lucas suddenly went abroad alone. At that time, I assumed it was for work.

My mother, concerned about how hard he worked, insisted on seeing him off at the airport. "Lucas, you’ve worked so hard. Don’t worry about things at home. Just leave it to us."

Unexpectedly, after sending him off, my mother and I had a car accident and were kidnapped by a rival family.

Recognizing Lucas's license plate, the assailants rammed into us with the intent to kill him. They never imagined that it was my mother who was driving.

She was knocked unconscious on impact and rushed to the emergency room. Though I was seated in the backseat, I was also severely injured. After my mother stayed in the ICU for days and nights for intensive treatment, I called Lucas, but he never answered.

The only time the call was picked up was when Anne answered it by accident. When I heard the sweet female voice on the other end, my heart ached so deeply I could barely breathe.

I hung up the phone in tears. As I stared at my mother in her hospital bed, a sense of helplessness consumed me. When Lucas returned to the country, he brought his personal assistant.

The moment he learned that my mother's misery had been because of him, he was overcome with grief and promised to take good care of her. And for several days, he stayed by her bedside every day. He even proposed to postpone the wedding until she recovered.

My father, who had initially opposed the marriage, nodded in agreement.

But the happy time never lasts. The next time I saw my mother, she had already passed away. The doctor said her condition had deteriorated. Hearing this was like a bolt of blue for me. My legs gave way and I passed out.

Staring at the familiar urn before me, the grief was too hard to bear. Consumed by it, I did not notice my brother's arrival.

“You look pale and have lost so much weight,” my brother said gently, his voice as soothing as a spring breeze.

After all these years, he was not the frail boy I remembered, but a dependable adult. Even though we weren't biological siblings, he was so good to me and was the only family I had left.

My brother wiped away my tears before stepping outside to greet the guests. To my shock, Lucas arrived with Anne, their hands clasped tightly, as if they were husband and wife.

When Anne stepped forward to burn a candle for my father, I immediately stepped forward and confronted her, "Who invited you here? Who gave you permission to burn candles?"

My eyes blazed with fury. This was so ironic—a murderer paying respects at the funeral of her victim. Yet she never showed any fear.

With utter disgust, I knocked the candles she had lit to the ground, scattering the ashes. I watched clearly as the ashes drifted through the air, yet she deliberately leaned in and managed to ‘burn’ herself.

While holding her scorched arm, she shrieked loudly before throwing herself into Lucas's embrace.

"Lucas, it hurt so much," she whimpered softly while cradling her arm.

Seeing the faint red mark on her forearm, Lucas's eyes filled with pity and he said angrily to me, "What's wrong with her wanting to light a candle? Why do you have to hurt her?"

Anne turned her tear-filled eyes toward me, sobbing, “It's all my fault. If I hadn't come to your wedding, none of this would have happened. I just wanted to give you the wedding gift I made with my own hands...”

She pulled out an embroidery piece that she had made. Her fingers were filled with prick marks. "Nova, please accept this. Don’t be mad anymore. Lucas had already punished me and I've learned my lesson."

Her performance was flawless and she was able to move everyone, including Lucas.

But I knew it was only an act.

"You certainly have a way with words. It’s a shame you're not pursuing acting, Anne."

“Lucas, get her out of here. I’m done wasting my breath," I said with a cold, detached voice. My eyes brimmed with contempt toward her. Lucas said nothing because he knew I would never forgive her.

But Anne couldn’t stay still. She dropped her pitiful act, her face twisting with fury. “Nova, who do you think you are? You don’t get to humiliate me in front of Lucas! If it weren't for him asking me here, I wouldn’t step foot in this cursed place!”

“And if you don’t want me lighting candles, then fine—let’s end the whole charade!”

Then Anne lifted the urn and smashed it to the ground with a cold, triumphant smile.

Crash!

The moment the urn fell to the ground, my heart seemed to stop as I stood frozen in place.

"No!"

By the time I reacted, the urn had already shattered into pieces. The crowd was in uproar.

Sunlight streamed through the attic window, scattering ashes through the air. I rushed forward recklessly, cupping the remaining ashes in my hands, desperate to hold onto the last vestiges of my father's warmth, yet I was utterly powerless.

Kneeling on the floor, I buried my face in my hands and wept.  Meanwhile, Anne seemed happy. She thoroughly wrecked the meticulously decorated hall, smashing the offerings and tossing the bouquets. The place became a complete mess and yet she strode away gracefully.

“So, what if your father’s dead? No one will ever stand up for you," she said as she left.

With a complex look on his face, Lucas patted my shoulder and coaxed me, "Nova, you shouldn’t have spoken to Anne like that. You know how easily she gets upset. But don’t worry—I’ll take care of the funeral properly for you."

After I had gathered my father's remaining ashes, I brushed coldly past him. "That won't be necessary."

I looked at him with an icy gaze, my body was too drained of strength. I had no energy left for arguments.

Since Lucas had never heard me refuse him before, he was stunned, unable to process it.

“That’s what you call taking care of my sister?” My brother, who had witnessed everything from the side, finally spoke with restrained rage as he stepped forward.

After he placed the urn that he had already prepared, only he and Lucas remained in the room.

"Malcom, when did you get back? Why didn’t you tell me, so Nova and I could’ve welcomed you properly?” Lucas said with a fawning look.

Malcom Bright was not just my brother, but was also Lucas's major business partner.

But Lucas did not care for small talk and cut to the point. "I know everything about Father and Mother. Let me make this clear to you … whatever you did to Nova, I will repay you a hundredfold!”

Lucas tried to explain, but Malcom shot him a look of disgust and walked away

.

My brother’s car was filled with my favorite jasmine-scented perfume. Breathing in its gentle floral fragrance, my heart finally settled.

“Have you decided about what I had told you?” My brother looked worried when he noticed the wound on my hand.

I nodded. Though the funeral had ended abruptly, it was time to leave.

My brother took me home but waited outside. As I was ready to enter and pack my things, I heard cheers from outside. The house was buzzing with activity.

Then Anne's voice rang out, loud and clear. "Nova has always been good at using moral blackmail. What does the death of her parents have to do with Lucas? And yet she's still dead set on marrying him!”