2

By the time Jada returned from the funeral home to the villa, it was already late at night.

The moment she stepped inside, she saw Daisybelle sitting comfortably on the couch while Kenton half-knelt on the floor, gently massaging her foot.

When he noticed her, he lifted his gaze, sweeping her with a cold look. His voice was equally frigid.

“Where have you been? Why are you only coming back now?”

As he spoke, he carefully finished wrapping Daisybelle’s ankle, then rose to his feet and walked over to Jada.

“You didn’t say a word before you left. You me worry about you all this time. You never used to be like this, Jada.”

He frowned slightly as he said it.

His words dragged Jada’s thoughts back to the past—the days when the two of them shared everything… when nothing was kept from each other.

But ever since Daisybelle came into the picture, Kenton never told her where he was going anymore.

And now… he dared to scold her for disappearing without a word?

When Jada stayed silent, Kenton reached out and tucked her rain-damp hair behind her ear, his tone laced with reproach.

“It’s pouring outside. Why didn’t you bring an umbrella? If you catch a cold, it’ll hurt me to see you suffer.”

His voice was soft, even tender. But it no longer stirred a single ripple in her heart.

She lifted her eyes to him, instinctively taking a step back.

“I forgot to bring one.”

With that, she turned to go upstairs, but Kenton grabbed her wrist from behind.

“Where are you going now?”

He frowned, and before she could answer, he dragged her firmly over to the dining table and pressed her into a chair.

“Jada, about Jodie’s matter, Dapper already knows he was wrong. I punished him already, so don’t stay mad.”

At that moment, Daisybelle rose from the couch, limping slightly as she walked over.

“Punished?” The sight of Daisybelle’s faintly flushed cheeks made Jada’s chest tighten with suffocating rage. She asked, “How exactly was he punished?”

Caught off guard by the question, Daisybelle froze, clearly not expecting her to press further.

Jada then turned to Kenton, enunciating each word. “How was he punished?”

“I… I grounded him. He’s not allowed to leave the house for three days.”

“That’s all?”

Jada’s eyes locked onto the two of them with an icy glare.

Her sister was dead. And the murderer’s punishment… was merely three days of not being allowed to go out?

“Jada, maybe you don’t understand Dapper.”

Daisybelle stepped closer, pouring Jada a glass of liquor.

“He’s the lively sort who loves crowds. Forcing him to stay home for three days is as good as killing him. It’s already a very harsh punishment.”

She looked around the room, then asked lightly, “By the way, where’s Jodie? Since Dapper was punished, as his sister, I should apologize to her personally on his behalf.”

At the mention of Jodie, Jada’s heart clenched painfully.

Her sister… would never come back.

“She’s not coming back,” Jada replied, her fists clenching so tightly at her side that her nails dug deep into her palm.

“Is that so…”

Daisybelle lowered her head, feigning sadness. And then, she quickly lifted her gaze with a smile, raising the brimming glass toward Jada.

“Since Jodie won’t come, then Jada, I’ll have to trouble you to drink on her behalf.”

She placed the poured liquor before her and continued softly,

“This time, Dapper really went too far. I’ve already scolded him harshly. On his behalf, I’m apologizing to you—and to Jodie.”

She was about to drink when Kenton stopped her in time.

“Your foot is still injured. You can’t drink.”

He snatched the glass from her hand and drained it himself.

Daisybelle’s eyes lit with a smile as she watched him drink for her, then she turned to Jada. But seeing no response, her eyes welled up instantly.

“Jada… you still can’t forgive us?”

Her voice was choked with tears, pitiful as she looked up at Kenton.

Kenton frowned at the sight of her tears, then picked up another glass from the table and held it out to Jada.

“Jada, Daisybelle has already apologized. Don’t go too far.”

His voice was cold, threaded with suppressed anger.

Staring at the liquor trembling slightly in his hand, Jada felt her chest constrict.

Had he already forgotten?

Once, for the sake of securing him an important contract, she drank herself into stomach bleeding, nearly losing her life. That night, he had held her hand, eyes red, swearing she was never to touch alcohol again in this lifetime.

And yet now… for Daisybelle’s sake, he was the one forcing a glass into Jada’s hands.

“I won’t drink it.”

Jada brushed away his hand and rose to leave.

But in the very next moment, Kenton yanked her back into the chair, pinched her cheeks tight, and before she could react… he forced the entire glass of white liquor down her throat.

3

The spiciness burned her throat, forcing Jada to grab at her neck as she coughed violently.

Her body shook with each fit, and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes from the sudden, uncontrollable irritation.

“You drove me to this, Jada.”

Kenton released her, his brows drawing together as he watched her doubled over, coughing without pause.

He almost stepped forward to help ease her breathing when, from the side, Daisybelle suddenly sucked in a sharp breath.

“What’s wrong?”

Hearing her, Kenton rushed over, quickly steadying her by the arm.

“My foot… I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been standing too long, but all of a sudden, it hurts so badly.”

As she spoke, Daisybelle leaned into him, her strength giving way until she nearly collapsed against his chest.

“Then sit down at once. I’ll rub it for you.”

He guided her into a chair and knelt down in front of her, completely forgetting Jada, who was still trying to recover from being forced to drink.

Watching him crouch and carefully lift Daisybelle’s foot onto his knee, Jada felt a dull and stabbing ache in her chest.

Her mind drifted back to a summer long ago—back when Kenton was not yet the rising star of the business world.

To make ends meet, she had worn a heavy mascot costume on the street, handing out flyers in the sweltering heat.

Perhaps because the costume was too big, perhaps because it was too hot, she had tripped over the hem and fallen, twisting her ankle badly.

Back then, Kenton had crouched in exactly this way. He gently rested her injured foot on his knee, his hands carefully massaging the swelling with a tenderness that made his eyes turn red.

“Jada… I’ll never let you get hurt again next time.”

That had been his promise to her.

But who could have thought that, in the end, the one to wound her deepest would be Kenton himself?

Unable to bear the intimacy before her eyes, Jada pressed a hand to her still-burning stomach and turned away, heading upstairs.

She changed out of her rain-soaked clothes and took a long, thorough shower.

When she stepped out, every ounce of strength seemed drained from her body. She collapsed onto the bed, and before she knew it, sleep claimed her.

She didn’t know how long she had slept before the sound of the bedroom door creaking open startled her awake.

In the dark, Kenton groped his way to the bed and slipped beneath the covers. He pulled her into his arms from behind. When she didn’t move, he let out a long sigh.

“Jada, I know you’re not asleep.”

He paused, then continued softly, “Daisybelle came sincerely today to apologize, but Jodie didn’t show up at all. That’s just too much.”

He sighed again. “Lately, you’ve spoiled Jodie so much she’s growing more and more unruly. After this, you really need to have a serious talk with her.”

Jada’s hands curled into tight fists.

‘Kenton! What right do you have to criticize my sister?!’

Before she could think further, thunder cracked outside, drowning out his voice. In his arms, Jada flinched violently.

She had always been afraid of thunderstorms. After all, it was on such a stormy night that her parents had left her forever.

Feeling her fear, Kenton opened his mouth as if to comfort her. But just then, his phone rang.

He answered, and Daisybelle’s choked and trembling voice drifted from the other end.

“Kenton… it’s thundering. I’m scared…”

“It’s alright, don’t be afraid. I’ll come right away.”

The moment the words left his mouth, he sprang out of bed, threw on a coat, and rushed out, not sparing a glance for Jada who was still shivering beneath the blankets.

The heavy slam of the bedroom door echoed like a weight in her chest, sinking her heart into a frozen abyss.

Apparently, that was it. In his heart, between her and Daisybelle, he had already made his choice.

The thunder rumbled on outside as Jada curled into herself, clutching at her chest.

She had thought she could no longer feel pain. But how could someone who had once loved so deeply not hurt?

At last, the tears she had held back spilled over, breaking free in an unstoppable flood.

She didn’t know how much time passed. When the storm outside finally quieted, and the thunder and lightning began to fade, the bedroom door opened once more.

But to her surprise, it was not Kenton who entered.

It was Dapper—Daisybelle’s younger brother!

4

The moment Dapper entered the bedroom, he leapt onto the bed and seized Jada from behind, locking her tightly in his arms. Before she could even react, his hands were already roaming all over her body.

He clicked his tongue. “You and your sister… You really do have quite the figures. One better than the other,” he sneered, his hand already reaching toward her chest.

“You bastard! What do you think you’re doing?!”

The sound of his voice stunned Jada for a heartbeat. Then panic crashed over her, and she began thrashing desperately in his grip. But no matter how she struggled, she couldn’t shake him off. Dapper’s strength was simply overwhelming.

“What am I doing?” he murmured with a low, mocking laugh against her ear. “Nothing much. I just want to taste the difference between you and your sister.”

With a sudden yank, he ripped her nightgown wide open.

The rush of cold air against her bare skin made fear and fury explode inside her chest. In that instant, her terror reached its peak.

Summoning all her strength, she kicked backward, her foot landing squarely on Dapper’s crotch.

He let out a howl of agony, doubling over with both hands clutching himself. Seizing the chance, Jada scrambled off the bed and bolted for the door.

“You filthy bitch! You dare kick me?!” he roared, writhing on the bed.

But when he saw her racing out of the room, he grit his teeth against the pain and staggered after her.

With Dapper chasing close behind, Jada’s panic mounted. Cornered, with nowhere else to go, she darted into the kitchen. She snatched up the first thing within reach—a kitchen knife—and swung it at him.

“Ahhh!”

His scream tore through the villa, drawing Kenton and Daisybelle out from another bedroom.

“What’s going on here?”

Kenton flicked on the light. His gaze swept over the chaos in the kitchen, his brows knitting tightly together.

“Kenton…” Dapper’s face betrayed a flicker of panic at the sight of him. But the moment his eyes caught Daisybelle standing just behind, his panic vanished without a trace.

“Kenton, there was thunder. My sister’s always been afraid of storms, so I came to check on her,” he explained smoothly.

With a quick sidelong glance at Jada—still clutching the knife—he went on, “But as soon as I walked in, I heard noises coming from the kitchen. I thought maybe a thief had broken in, so I came to take a look. Who knew… the moment Jada saw me, she tore her own nightgown and came at me with a knife!”

“Dapper! Your hand! It’s bleeding so much!” Daisybelle’s gasp broke in before Kenton could respond.

She hurried to his side, her expression soft with heartbreak as she looked at the gash on his arm. Tears slipped down her cheeks without her even realizing.

“Jada… is this true?”

Kenton’s voice was cold, his brows drawn tight. When he turned to Jada, his eyes were like ice.

The sound of his voice made Jada falter, her grip on the knife loosening slightly. But then her gaze fell on his half-open collar, the faint red marks along his neck. Her heart trembled violently.

‘So this is what Daisybelle means by being “afraid of thunder,’ Jada realized.

“Kenton…” she whispered hoarsely. “If I said it wasn’t true, would you believe me?”

The question only made his frown deepen. His eyes swept over the wreckage of the kitchen, but before he could answer, Daisybelle’s voice cut in.

“Jada, yes, Dapper was in the wrong. But we’ve already apologized. We even drank with you. Why won’t you let this go?” Her voice broke into sobs as she dropped to her knees, clutching Dapper’s arm. “He’s my only brother. Do you mean to hound him to death before you’re satisfied?”

“Fine… if that’s what it takes, then as his sister, I’ll atone for Dapper’s sins!”

With that, she suddenly lunged forward, seizing Jada’s hand and driving the knife toward her own chest.

“Daisybelle, what are you doing?!”

Kenton rushed forward, yanking her away. In the struggle, the blade sliced across her palm.

Blood gushed freely, running down her hand in crimson streams. Kenton’s face twisted with anguish as he scooped her into his arms.

At the kitchen doorway, he paused. He didn’t turn back, but his voice was colder than frost.

“I only believe what I see.”

Then, without another glance, he strode out of the villa carrying Daisybelle in his arms.

Behind them, Dapper lingered just a step behind, both he and Daisybelle exchanging a single glance. The triumph gleaming in their eyes was impossible to hide.