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.

5

Kenton carried Daisybelle away, leaving the kitchen in suffocating silence.

Staring at the doorway where his figure had long since disappeared, Jada finally collapsed to the floor, feeling utterly drained.

Tears streamed down her cheeks—tears for Jodie and for herself.

Her mind drifted back to the past, to when Kenton had once placed her hand against his chest, his voice both devout and tender.

“Jada, in this lifetime, I will only ever believe in you.”

It turned out, this was what his so-called belief amounted to—cheap, fragile, worthless.

She scrubbed her tears away with trembling hands, stood up, and stumbled back to the bedroom.

The next time she woke, it was to the shrill ringing of her phone.

Still groggy, Jada answered. A rushed, anxious voice came from the other end.

“Hello, is this Jada McNamee? Please, you need to come to the cemetery right away. Someone claiming to be your friend is trying to take your sister’s ashes.”

The words hadn’t even fully landed when Jada shot upright in bed.

In her mind, the image of Daisybelle’s eyes from last night—when Kenton carried her away—flashed vividly.

A sharp pang struck Jada’s chest.

She didn’t have time to think. Throwing on her clothes in a hurry, she rushed out the door and made straight for the cemetery.

The moment she reached the gates, she caught sight of Daisybelle and Dapper walking out from inside.

And in Dapper’s hands—was Jodie’s urn.

“Stop!”

Jada lunged forward, trying to snatch it back. But Dapper simply stepped back, dodging her reach, and she grabbed at nothing.

“Daisybelle, give my sister back to me!” Jada’s eyes were bloodshot, her voice trembling with fury as it nearly spilled over.

“Give her back? Of course.” Daisybelle took the urn from Dapper, her lips curling into a cruel, twisted smile. “As long as you apologize and beg for our forgiveness, I’ll return your sister to you.”

“What did you just say?” Jada’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“You hurt both of us,” Daisybelle said, her grin deepening. “Don’t you think you owe us an apology?”

Her gaze hardened, sharp with cruelty.

“What’s wrong? You’re not willing?”

Even as she spoke, she shot Dapper a meaningful glance.

Catching her signal, Dapper gave a knowing nod, then pulled out an iron rod from who-knows-where. He began advancing toward Jada, step by step.

“You—what are you trying to do?”

The instant her eyes fell on the iron rod, Jada’s face went deathly pale.

She staggered backward, but Dapper only closed in closer.

“What do you think?” he sneered, his voice laced with menace. His eyes gleamed with feral malice.

“Jada, aren’t you the capable one? Weren’t you going to drag me into court? Weren’t you going to cut me down yourself?”

With each mocking word, he pressed her further into a deserted corner.

Watching her wide eyes brimming with terror, his laughter deepened.

“Truth is, you made me quite happy last night. If not for that, I wouldn’t even be bothering today. But…” His grin turned vicious. “It’s a pity. You and your sister are both the same kind of cheap whores.”

With a mocking sigh, he shook his head as though in regret. Then, raising the iron rod high, he swung it down hard—straight at her knee.

“Ah—!”

A piercing scream tore through the cemetery as pain ripped through Jada’s body. Her knees buckled under the blow, forcing her to collapse heavily onto the ground.

Watching her writhe in agony, Daisybelle stepped forward, her high heels clicking sharply against the stone path.

She ground her heel into the back of Jada’s hand—the hand that still tried to support her trembling body. Her voice dripped with venom and long-nursed resentment.

“Sure, Jada, you’re beautiful. Yes, you’ve always outshone me in grades. But it was me who met Kenton first. It was me who loved him first. So tell me—why was it you who married him in the end? Why you?”

Her voice grew more frenzied with each word, her heel pressing down harder and harder.

The searing pain in both her knee and hand left Jada drenched in cold sweat. Her clothes clung to her body, soaked through.

She forced her trembling gaze up to meet Daisybelle’s twisted, hate-filled expression.

Her voice shook violently, but she managed to choke out, “Now… give Jodie back to me!”

“Back to you? Sure.”

Daisybelle sneered, raising the urn high in her hands.

“I’ll return her to you right now.”

And with that, she hurled the urn down with all her strength—shattering it to the ground before Jada’s eyes.