Chapter 4
Olivia tiptoed into the room in the evening. In the moonlight, the syringe in her hand gleamed coldly.
I had seen this coming. Ever since they took my shares, I was the only thing standing in their way.
I kept my eyes closed, breathing steadily, pretending to be fast asleep.
She walked over to the bed and leaned close to my ear.
"Emily, there's no point in you being here anymore," she whispered.
Her voice was soft, but chillingly cold.
"Andrew said once you're dead, he'll get engaged to me," she added.
My heart tightened. Even though I'd had my suspicions, hearing their insane plan spoken out loud sent a wave of terror crashing over me.
It hit me then— they'd already picked the exact moment I'd die. I didn't even get a say in how it would happen.
Olivia raised the syringe, the needle catching a ghostly shine in the moonlight.
"Don't worry, this is not going to hurt. It's just like drifting off to sleep," she whispered. Her voice carried a twisted kind of tenderness.
"You should thank me for making your end so peaceful," she added.
Soft footsteps sounded outside the door.
Olivia went stiff for a split second, hurriedly hiding the syringe behind her back.
Andrew pushed the door open and looked around the room.
"Olivia? What are you doing here?" he asked.
Olivia's eyes brimmed with tears, her voice quivering. "Andrew, I just wanted to see Emily.
"She just seems so miserable lately. I just wanted to keep her company."
Tears streamed down her cheeks, making her look heartbreakingly fragile.
Andrew walked over to the bed and gently stroked my face, his touch so soft.
"Poor Emily," he said.
His fingers drifted across my face as if I were something soon to be discarded.
"Don't rush it," Andrew said, turning to Olivia. "Wait until we've got the password to her offshore trust—then we'll deal with it."
Thinking I was completely unconscious, he dropped his voice even lower. "Keep it clean. Leave no trace behind."
In that instant, everything I had ever believed in shattered.
My fiancé and my sister—the ones I thought I could rely on the most—were quietly plotting how to end me.
They didn't just want my life—they wanted my fortune, too.
Olivia nodded. "I get it, Andrew. She must have given you the password, right?"
Andrew shook his head, annoyance flickering in his eyes. "She never trusts me with that. It's always kept secret.
"Doesn't matter. I'll make sure she tells me, one way or another."
A cruel glint flashed in his eyes.
"Tomorrow, we'll begin hypnotherapy. Once she's under, she'll tell us whatever we want to know," Andrew said.
Olivia held his hand tightly, her excitement barely contained. "Andrew, you're so smart.
"Once we get the password, we can finally—"
"Shh," Andrew hissed, putting a finger on his lips. "Don't let anyone hear us."
They shared a sly grin, their eyes burning with greed.
"I'm leaving. See you tomorrow," Andrew said, planting a quick kiss on Olivia's forehead.
"Wait for me, Andrew," Olivia called out, hurrying after him toward the door.
She shot me a look over her shoulder, a malicious curve forming on her lips.
The door clicked shut, leaving me alone with suffocating despair.
I slowly opened my eyes, tears slipping down my cheeks in silence.
It turned out I meant nothing to them. I was worth less than an animal.
Animals at least had value, but I was merely a problem waiting to be dealt with.
I remembered the phone call from earlier this afternoon.
I murmured, my voice barely more than a breath. "Mr. Miles, it's time for you to repay me."
He was silent for a few seconds.
"So, Ms. Sutton, you do remember me after all," Ethan replied, amusement dancing in his tone.
Ethan Miles' voice carried an unmistakable touch of playfulness, almost teasing.
"Honestly, I was starting to think you'd keep playing dumb forever," he said with a chuckle.
"They're planning to kill me," I said directly. "Tonight or tomorrow."
"Well, that's interesting." Ethan chuckled, clearly amused. "Guess those Sutton girls are even more ruthless than I thought."
"Will you help me?" I whispered, the desperation clear in my voice.
"Of course," Ethan said, his playful tone melting into deadly seriousness. "I haven't forgotten what your mother did for me, even after twenty years.
"Now's the time to pay it back. Trust me, I'll make sure they pay for every single thing they've done to you."