Kira’s Pov

Lily gasped softly, eyes wide with mock innocence. “Donnie, no… I can’t take that from her.” But the way her lips twitched upward told me everything. She wanted it. She wanted everything.

Donald’s jaw hardened. “She doesn’t need it. You do. Kira, be reasonable for once in your life. Give it to her.”

I laughed, a sound sharp and broken, slicing the air like shattered glass. “Reasonable? You took my father, my mother, my body, my dignity. And now, you want the only piece of him I have left?”

Lily pressed a trembling hand to her stomach, tears glistening. “Please, cousin… don’t cry, you can keep the necklace, I’ll just deal with the nightmare.”

“How can you be so cruel, Kira, just give her the damn necklace!” Donald snapped.

My vision blurred red. My nails bit into my palms until I nearly bled. My voice dropped to a whisper, low and lethal.

“Take it, then. Take the necklace.”

I unclasped the necklace with trembling hands and dropped it into her palm. The weight of it left me, but so did the last shred of weakness I’d been clinging to.

Lily cried out suddenly, “It hurts!”

I turned to see the look of horror on her face as Donald examined her hand, his face twisted in anger.

“You gave her this necklace with evil intentions, now you’ve hurt her!” he spat and before I knew it, he grabbed the necklace and tossed it into the fireplace.

“No!” I cried, exclaiming in shock,” Donald said to her, ignoring my cries.

As I lay, sprawled on the floor, trying to pull out the necklace from the flames I saw the smug look on Lily’s face as Donald carried her out.

—

The morning light filtered weakly through the curtains, but instead of warmth, it brought cold reality.

When I walked into the dining room, I stopped dead in my tracks. Lily was seated at the head of the table—my seat—draped in silk, her hand resting on her belly as though she were already mistress of the house. Donald stood behind her, massaging her shoulders, his face lit with a smile I had once thought belonged only to me.

“Good morning,” he said smoothly, not even glancing at me before pressing a kiss to Lily’s hair. “You should learn from Lily, Kira. She’s gentle, forgiving, everything you’re not.”

“Good morning, Cuz, I hope you slept well. Don’t mind Donnie, he means no harm,” Lily said, giggling.

The staff moved quietly around us, but their eyes lingered. My chest squeezed with shame.

I moved toward my old chair, but Donnie’s voice cut through the silence. “Oh, Kira, sit here instead.”

He pointed to the small wooden stool the servants used when they were off duty. His lips curled faintly upward.

He chuckled. “That’s more fitting for you anyway until you stop bullying Lily.”

The humiliation burned like acid, but I bit my tongue until it bled. I sat, lifting my chin high, refusing to let either of them see me break.

Donald served Lily first, cutting her pancake into neat pieces, his voice dripping with admiration. “See how she glows, Kira, you should learn from Lily.”

I smiled smugly, “I intend to learn from you both.”

Later, when I returned to my room, my heart sank. The closet was empty. My clothes, my books—all gone.

“Donald,” I hissed when I found him in the hallway. “Where are my things?”

“Oh,” he said casually, “Lily needed more space. So, your things were moved upstairs to the attic. You don’t mind, do you?”

“I do mind,” I snapped. “She already has my room, why did she have to bring her things to the guestroom?”

“Stop being dramatic, Kira, it’s not like you need those things you aren't going anywhere anytime soon,” Donald said, as he walked away.

That afternoon, Lily came into my room while Donald was gone. She leaned against the doorway, her belly outlined by her fitted dress, her eyes glittering with victory.

“Do you like how things are now, cousin?” she asked, her tone honeyed poison. “This is just the beginning. Soon, this house, his name, his love—everything will be mine.”

My teeth ground together. “You’ve already taken enough.”

Lily’s laugh rang out, sharp and mocking. “Enough? Oh, Kira, you have no idea. Donnie never wanted you. He used you. You were just the ladder. And now that he’s at the top, you’re nothing but rotten wood.”

The rage boiled inside me, but before I could retort, footsteps echoed in the hallway. Donald appeared.

“What’s going on here?”

Lily’s face shifted instantly—crocodile tears welling, voice breaking. “Donnie… I think Kira is upset with me. I didn’t mean to upset her. I told her she can hurt me if it helps her heal, I don’t mind. I just don’t want her to hate me.”

Donald’s glare cut into me like steel. “Kira! Lily has done nothing but care for you. And this is how you repay her?”

I laughed bitterly. “Care for me? She’s mocking me—”

“Enough!” Donald barked. “You should be grateful you have a cousin like her. You don’t deserve her kindness.”

Lily clutched his arm like a wounded saint, whispering, “Donnie, please don’t scold her. She’s hurting.”

The venom in her eyes met mine over his shoulder. And just like that, the devil played angel, and he swallowed every word.

By evening, I couldn’t take it anymore. I opened my suitcase where I hid the divorce papers Ginny had sent. My heart pounded as I walked into the study.

“Donald,” I said calmly, placing the documents on the desk. “You need to sign this. It’s for company accounts. Ginny asked me to have you handle it quickly.”

He picked it up and was about to read it when Lily’s voice sounded from the hall, “Donnie, please come, my legs hurt.”

Donald immediately turned, forgetting I was even there. I could have been a shadow. Or less.

He closed the document and scowled, “Later, I need to check on Lily.”

“Now,” I pressed. “She said it was urgent.”

He huffed, picked up the pen, and without reading a word, scrawled his name across the bottom.

“Happy now?”

Before I could respond, Lily’s voice floated from the hall again. “Donnie! Come here, I need you!”

His face softened instantly. “Coming, Princess.” He tossed the papers at me and strode out without a second thought.

I stared down at the signed divorce agreement, my fingers trembling as I lifted it. A bitter smile curved my lips.

Now I just had one more thing to do and I’ll leave this hellhole with my mother.

Kira’s Pov

After Donald signed the divorce papers without reading it he hadn't come back to know what he signed. He spent the rest of his night with Lily attending to all her needs.

The following morning I stood in front of the mirror, combing my hair back with trembling fingers.

My father deserved a proper burial, and I needed to see my mother at the hospital to know how she's doing.

Today, I was going to the office. Today, I would set my plan in motion and watch them fall into my trap like the greedy worms that they are.

When I came downstairs, Donald was waiting with Lily at his side. She wore one of my silk robes again, hand cradling her stomach as though it were royalty.

“Where are you going all dressed up?” he asked me.

I considered ignoring him but I knew he'd never let me be.

“I’m going to the office. I need to know how my father’s company is doing, it’s been days since I went there last,” I answered.

“You can’t go,” Donald said firmly, his eyes narrowing. “Not to the office. Not after everything you’ve been through. You need to heal.”

Lily’s voice floated like honey laced with poison. “Donnie’s right, cousin. You went through… such horrors. You shouldn’t carry this burden. The company can wait.”

My jaw clenched. “My father is dead. My mother is in the hospital. The company is all I have left. I will go.”

Donald’s lips thinned. “Kira—”

“I have to do my best,” I cut in, my voice steady.

And without waiting for permission, I walked out.

—

The boardroom fell silent the moment I entered. Twelve men sat in their seats, eyes wide with something between shock and disgust.

One of them—a man who had kissed my father’s hand at every meeting—stood up abruptly. “Mrs. Reeds, you… you can’t be here.”

I frowned. “Can’t? This is my father’s company. His blood built these walls. Why can’t I?”

Murmurs rippled through the room. Another cleared his throat. “If the investors see you here, they’ll pull out. The company will collapse.”

“Collapse?” My laugh was sharp and hollow. “My family was slaughtered in our home. I was dragged through hell. And this—this is how you treat me?”

The man hesitated, then nodded toward the television mounted on the wall. “It’s not how we see it, Mrs. Reeds. It’s how everyone else does.”

He pressed a button and the screen flickered to life. That’s when I saw it.

Me. My body. Stripped. Pinned down. But the sounds—my screams—were gone. Replaced with soft moans. My face twisted not in pain, but in… pleasure.

My stomach dropped. My knees buckled. “No…” I whispered. “No, no, no. That’s not—”

The room blurred.

The board member’s voice was cold. “The world believes you were… entertaining multiple men while your parents were killed. Their faces were blurred, but yours… yours is clear.”

Tears spilled before I could stop them. My voice cracked, raw and broken. “It’s fake. They altered it! I was raped. I was screaming. I—”

Another cut me off. “The video was verified. Multiple agencies confirmed its authenticity. We can’t risk the company’s reputation. You need to step down.”

The walls closed in. I could barely breathe.

And then—

“Enough.”

The voice boomed like thunder.

Uncle Henry strode in, his face red with fury, his suit immaculate. “How dare you attack my niece like this? She is the daughter of this company’s founder! Shame on you all!”

For a moment, his mask almost fooled me. His arms outstretched, his voice dripping with false outrage. To them, he was the savior.

But I knew better. If I hadn't overheard Donald’s conversation, I would have been fooled by him.

I stared at him, hatred burning through my tears. My lips trembled. The word slipped out before I could stop it. “Why?”

Henry thought I meant the board. His arm came around my shoulders, fatherly and protective. “Don’t cry, Kira. They’re fools. Focus on healing. I will make sure the truth comes out.”

I almost laughed in his face. Instead, I let the tears fall, hating myself for every drop.

“Let me carry this weight for you,” he said softly. “For now, sign over the company to me. Just until you’ve recovered.”

My hands trembled as I signed the transfer documents. His eyes gleamed with triumph.

But as I slid the pen back across the table, a bitter smile tugged at my lips. You think you’ve won. You haven’t seen me yet.

Ginny was waiting outside, her eyes wide with worry. “Mrs. Reeds?”

I inhaled sharply, fighting for air. “The flight. Did you book it?”

“Yes. Tomorrow evening.”

“Good. And the information I asked for?”

She nodded. “Everything is ready. And… about the annual banquet—shall I cancel it?”

“No,” I said, my voice steel. “The banquet stays. Tomorrow night, I’ll make my final move. Then we leave with my mother.”

Ginny swallowed and nodded.

—

But when I reached the hospital, my world shattered again.

“What have you done with my mother? Why isn't she in her room?” I roared with anger.

The doctor wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Mrs. Reeds… I’m so sorry. Your husband signed the papers. We performed a merciful termination, he said he didn't want your mother to suffer anymore. Your mother’s organs were donated. Her heart went to your cousin’s mother.”

My knees gave way. “What… what did you just say?”

He handed me an urn. Cold. Heavy. My mother—reduced to ash.

“This is impossible,” I whispered. “She was alive yesterday—how could you—”

The doctor lifted a document. My signature stared back at me. It was forged.

“He said you agreed with him. He gave us this signed document,” the doctor said.

Rage tore through me. “This isn’t mine! How dare you—”

And then the voice I hated most filled the room.

“Cousin,” Lily sang sweetly, stepping inside, a radiant smile on her lips. “Thank you. You saved my mother. Even though your own had to die for it.”

My chest split in two.

She tilted her head, her eyes glittering. “Honestly, I didn’t think Donald would do it. But he did. He killed your mother… to save mine.”

Her laughter was poisonous, her eyes gleaming with hatred.

“Leave, Kira. Donald never loved you. He never will. You were only the placeholder to warm his bed until I arrived.”

My voice shook. “Aren’t you tired of pretending? I already know everything you and your father did to my family.”

Her smile sharpened. “Pretend? Oh, cousin. I won. That’s all that matters. And your character?” She leaned close, whispering. “Ruined so you can't do anything to redeem yourself.”

She paused, then grinned wider. “Do you know what I loved most? The way your mother screamed while they broke her legs. Blood. Bone. Her voice begging. It was delicious.”

Something inside me snapped.

“I’m going to kill you, bitch!” I yelled.

My hand flew. The slap cracked across her cheek. My fists tangled in her hair as I yanked, her shrieks echoing down the hall.

And then—

“Enough!”

Donald’s voice roared like thunder.

I froze. He stood in the doorway, eyes blazing in horror, watching as I dragged his precious Lily to the ground.

Kira’s Pov

Donald’s hands were iron around my arms as he yanked me off Lily, his palm hitting my cheeks. I stumbled, hitting the cold tiles, pain shooting up my spine.

“Are you insane?” he roared, his voice echoing off the hospital walls. “You dare lay a hand on her?”

Blood filled my mouth from the split lips he had just given me. “You killed my mother!” I screamed, throwing the forged document into his chest. “You signed her death away. You gave her organs to save Lily’s mother. How could you, Donald?!”

He didn’t even flinch. Instead, his lips curled into a cruel sneer.

“I did you a favor. Your mother was never going to recover. She was a burden. You should thank me.” His eyes narrowed, dark and merciless. “Honestly, maybe you should’ve died with her.”

My knees buckled. The words sliced through me like a thousand blades.

“You monster,” I whispered.

His laugh was bitter. “No, Kira. You’re the monster. After everything Lily has done for you, this is how you repay her?”

“She didn’t do shit for me!” I spat.

“She gave you her bone marrow!” Donald snapped. “She sacrificed herself for you, and you… you don’t deserve her kindness.”

“I know everything you all did to me and my family and it certainly wasn’t helpful,” I hissed at him.

“You’ve lost your dignity. You’ve lost your family’s company. You’ve lost everything. There’s nothing you can do now,” he whispered cruelly.

Lily sniffled behind him, tears sparkling in her eyes like jewels. She leaned into him, cradling her belly, playing the saint. “Donnie, please… stop. Don’t hurt her. She’s just upset.”

As if on cue, she stumbled, her elbow knocking into the table.

The urn. I lunged forward, but it was too late. My mother’s ashes spilled across the floor in a gray cloud as the urn shattered into a thousand pieces.

“NO!” I screamed, dropping to my knees. My hands clawed at the ashes, gathering them in trembling fists. “I’m sorry, Mama, I’m so sorry…”

Lily gasped dramatically. “It was an accident!” she cried. “I didn’t mean to—”

Donald’s arm wrapped protectively around her. His voice was ice. “She doesn’t even deserve her mother’s ashes.”

The world tilted. My breath came in ragged sobs as my fingers scraped the cold tiles, desperately scooping up the remains of the woman who gave me life.

—

That night, back at the house, I gathered every photo, every gift, every memory Donald had ever given me. Wedding portraits, anniversary jewelry, love notes. Poison wrapped in pretty ribbons.

I set them all ablaze in the fireplace. The flames devoured them hungrily, crackling as though laughing at my naivety.

The door slammed open just as Donald, Lily, and Henry all walked in.

Henry’s face twisted with disappointment. “Kira… even after I defended you at the board, you repay me by bullying my daughter?”

“Go to hell,” I hissed.

The slap came fast, snapping my head to the side as the glass cup in my hand fell to the ground. Donald’s voice was like a whip. “Ungrateful bitch. Kneel.”

Before I could move, he shoved me to the ground, forcing me onto shards of broken glass. Pain exploded in my knees, blood seeping into my dress.

“Kneel,” he repeated coldly. “And apologize to Lily. And to her father.”

Tears burned my eyes as glass pierced my skin, but my lips stayed sealed.

Lily dropped to her knees, grabbing Donald’s arm. “Donnie, stop. Please, don’t do this to her. She’s my cousin. I can take her cruelty. She doesn’t have to apologize.”

Her eyes met mine over his shoulder, glittering with victory. The devil, dressed as an angel.

That night, Donald shoved me into the storage room. A thousand daffodils filled the air, their fragrance suffocating.

“You want to disrespect me?” His voice was cruelly calm. “Then you’ll stay here until you learn some humility. Tomorrow, you will attend the annual banquet—alone. Lily and I will go ahead. I can't be seen with an ungrateful whore!”

I choked, clawing at the door. “No, you can’t—please, Donald, I’m allergic to these flowers!”

He smirked, ignoring my cries. “Then consider it punishment.”

Hours passed. My body trembled as my throat swelled and my skin burned. I thought I would die.

But when the door creaked open again, Donald stood in front of the door, his eyes cold.

“I hope you've learnt your lesson, Kira, I won’t be so forgiving next time.” He yanked me out, tossed me onto the floor, and left without another word.

The moment he was gone, I dragged my shaking hand to my phone. My fingers typed fast.

’Stage the plan. Tomorrow night, everything ends.’

—

The next evening, I stood at the top of the staircase as I watched Donald, Lily, and Henry, all dressed for their victory parade.

“I’m sorry, Cuz,” Lily said sweetly, fastening her necklace. “I begged Donnie to let you join us, but he refused.”

“Drop the act, Lily,” I spat. “You don’t need to pretend anymore. I see you for what you are.”

Donald stormed up, grabbing my wrist so hard I winced. “When will you stop bullying Lily? You’re the reason I’m leaving you behind.”

I wrenched free, my eyes blazing. “You deceived me for three years. You killed my parents. You think I’ll stay quiet? This isn’t over.”

His jaw clenched, but Henry’s voice cut him off smoothly. “Enough, Donald. My niece has been through much… it’s affecting her mind. Let’s go. When we return, we’ll discuss her parents’ burial.”

They swept out together, a picture of false perfection.

The second their car disappeared down the road, I ran into Donald’s study. He hadn’t even bothered to lock it. Fools always underestimated me.

I typed in Lily’s birthday. The computer clicked open displaying files, documents, everything I needed.

I downloaded everything, then pulled out the divorce papers and laid them neatly on his desk.

My phone buzzed. ‘Your ride is waiting outside, Ma’am.’

I grabbed my bag and turned to leave. But when I stepped out into the cool night air—

Three armed men blocked my path. Guns gleamed beneath the porch light.

“The boss said no survivors,” one muttered.

My lips curved into a smile. I had expected this. “I know what he paid you. Check your phones. I wired three times the amount.”

Their eyes flickered. Hesitation. Then they checked. One man’s jaw dropped.

“She’s telling the truth.”

I stepped closer, fearless now. “I don’t need your loyalty. Just your silence. And one small favor.”

They listened as I whispered. When I pulled back, their expressions were grim, but they nodded. My work was done.

I slipped into the waiting car and dialed Ginny. My voice was ice.

“Change of plans. Release the video. None of them deserve mercy.”

As the car sped toward the airport, I turned once to watch the mansion vanish behind me.

By the time my jet loomed before me, I knew the city would already be in chaos. Lily’s tears, Henry’s rage, Donald’s humiliation—it played in my head like a melody.

I touched my lips, and for the first time in days, I smiled.

Just then my phone rang, Donald’s name flashed on the screen. I was just about to hang up the phone when I accidentally tapped the answer button.

Donald’s angry voice filled the receiver immediately.

“What have you done, Kira? Come here this instant and clear up this mess else I’ll —”

“Shut up, you asshole, you can't do anything other than bark like a dog. Don't you ever call me again,” I snapped and hung up.

I blocked his number, turned off my phone, and entered the plane.

The engines roared, the plane lifted, and the world below began to drown in the storm I had unleashed !