Chapter 3

Helena spun around and locked eyes with me, her gaze burning with fury. "You did this, didn't you?"

I didn't confirm it, nor did I deny it.

She was shaking with rage, and she jabbed her finger at my face. "You're nothing but bad luck. The second you came back, you turned this house into a war zone. Why would you do this to your sister?"

"She's not my sister," I said coldly.

"Shut your mouth. Right now, you're going to explain to everyone that this was all a misunderstanding."

I stared at her, and suddenly the whole thing felt ridiculous. "Why would I cover for a fraud?"

The slap came hard and fast, and my cheek exploded with stinging heat.

Helena froze after she hit me, her hand still hanging in the air like she couldn't believe what she'd just done.

Oscar walked over with a dark expression, glanced at Emily's disheveled state, then turned to me. "Enough. You're all embarrassing yourselves. We're going home."

Back at the house, the living room felt suffocating.

Helena had been crying the entire drive back, and she kept repeating the same thing over and over. "Emily's such a good girl. She would never do something like this. Someone must have framed her."

Her eyes kept darting toward me, sharp and accusing.

Emily stayed buried in Helena's arms, tears streaming down her face, but she didn't say a word.

Oscar sat in his usual chair, his face like stone, and he didn't speak for a long time.

When he finally did, his voice was cold enough to freeze the room. "Emily, you're grounded. Until you clear your name, you don't leave your room. And I'm cutting off all the internet in this house."

Then he turned to me. "Charlotte, you came home today, and now we're dealing with this mess. Whether you had anything to do with it or not, you're responsible. You're confined to your room too. Think about what you've done."

I shrugged like I couldn't care less and headed upstairs.

Helena's voice rang out behind me. "Oscar, how can you treat Emily like this? She's the victim here."

They locked me in my room, and servants brought meals to my door three times a day. They cut off the internet and took my phone. It was exactly like living in the psychiatric hospital all over again.

But I knew Emily had it worse than I did.

At least in the psych ward, I'd found ways to entertain myself.

But Emily? She'd been the golden girl her whole life, pampered and adored. Now she was a pariah with her reputation in ruins, and she was stuck under house arrest just like me.

That kind of fall from grace was enough to drive anyone insane.

Sure enough, a few days later, I heard the servants whispering that Emily had thrown a massive tantrum in her room and smashed everything she could get her hands on.

Helena was devastated. She spent every day camped outside Emily's door, trying to comfort her through the woods.

Meanwhile, I enjoyed the peace and quiet.

I spent my days sitting by the window, reading or watching the garden below. Sometimes Helena came upstairs to see me.

She never spoke—just stood in the doorway and stared at me with this complicated, resentful look in her eyes.

I knew what she was thinking. She suspected me, but she didn't have any proof.

I was waiting. Waiting for Emily to make her move. I knew she wouldn't let this go.

A week later, the house erupted into chaos one afternoon.

I heard Oscar's furious roar from downstairs, and Helena's shocked cry echoed through the halls.

My door flew open with a violent kick. Oscar stood there seething with rage, and behind him were Helena, Emily, with her eyes swollen and red from crying, and several uniformed security guards.

"Charlotte, you've got some nerve." Oscar pointed at me, and his hand was shaking with anger.

I stared at him, completely confused. "What did I do?"

"Don't play dumb." Helena rushed forward and grabbed my collar. "You stole Grandpa's watch."

Oscar's watch?

It clicked immediately—the antique Patek Philippe from his study, the one he treasured more than anything.

I'd heard the story before. His father had left him that watch, and it was worth a fortune. More than that, it meant everything to him.

"I didn't take it," I said calmly.

"You're still lying?" Emily jabbed her finger at me, and her voice went shrill. "It was you. I saw you sneaking into Oscar's study with my own eyes."