Chapter 3
Leroy’s eyes turned cold. He quickly stepped forward and pulled Rachel out of the way.
The caterpillars had mild toxins, but he used his bare hands to pick them out of her hair.
Then he turned to me, his face full of disgust.
“You like throwing bugs, huh? Fine. You–pick up those caterpillars and shove them into her clothes,” he pointed at a few members of the house staff.
The house staff obeyed and started gathering the bugs.
The gardener pinned me down, holding me in place.
“I didn’t do it! I would never!” I shouted.
Leroy sneered but said nothing.
Of course. He didn’t believe me anymore.
a
He hadn’t trusted me in the last life either–he never asked questions, just assumed I rigged the draw.
I used to still hold onto some gratitude toward the Quinn family for taking me in. I even considered warning him about the secret Rachel was hiding.
But now? I didn’t care anymore. I wanted to see the look on his face when the truth finally exploded.
So I stopped resisting and let the caterpillars crawl all over me.
Wherever they touched turned red and swollen, the itching unbearable.
Rachel, now calm, tugged on Leroy’s sleeve.
“Isn’t this… too much, Leroy? I’m fine now.”
“Rachel, you’re too kind, that’s why people keep walking all over you. Come on, I’ll take you to the doctor.”
He held her hand and walked right past me.
The gardener let go, and I collapsed to the ground.
I had held back so hard that my fingers had dug deep into the soil, black mud and fresh blood caking my hands.
Because of Leroy, no one would help me.
So I forced myself to push through the nausea and pain, brushing off the bugs one by one. Then, unsteady, I got up and went to find the family doctor.
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08:36
Xxxxxit
*Wax And
When
the room, Ian Fer behind the cut
yet Rachel was gaping like she coukkot breathe
that puts back the contam, Rachel hooked weak in the knees, barely able to stand
the planced at the wells and swelling on my neck, then fed the both of ointment at me
wax axcond show, and it hit the thor and shattered, spilling everywhere
loy a tiger on me
Hate kneeling on the thou, I need un munt covered hands to smear what little ment‘ could salvage onto my
When I looked up. I saw Lenox gently doinfecting Rachel’s hands with care
*Leny, I’m leaving the Quinn’s residence,” I sand quieth
Lenu had promised me a home when he was nine. But now, that home was gone. It was time to say goodbye
He pently wiped Rachel’s hands clean, then kissed her fingertips
His expression barely changed
ay that again”
ok a deep breath
f said, you’re marrying Me Davidson And For just an outsider now. Like the other UN candidates, I should leave. Lely, this isn’t a request. It’s a notice.”
“A notice?” Leroy didn’t even realise how his voice had shifted
“Cecilia, that dad of yours, the one in a coma are you planning to stop treatment?” he asked coldly
His home was laced with treat
My body tensed Memories from my past life made me tremble.
He had once held me in his arme–then later, with thmes same hands, pushed me into a coffin.
But no matter how domineering I eroy was, he never saw it coming I was getting married anon
Hack when dumpe were good between us, I need to threaten to leave Quinn’s residence just to make him back down
But now? I didn’t need him to back down
6
Chapter 3
I was really leaving this time.
He said nothing for a long while. Then suddenly, he scoffed.
288 Vouchers
“If you’re scared, just stay put at the Quinn’s residence. Rachel needs a personal maid. Especially on our wedding night–you can help warm the bed.”
Rachel blushed bright red and playfully tapped his chest with her tiny pink fist.
“Leroy, don’t say stuff like that, you’re embarrassing me.”
He grabbed her pale hand, pulled her into his arms, and lifted her up by the waist.
“Nothing to be embarrassed about. Come on, let’s go have some fun.”
Rachel’s stiletto heel knocked me aside. I landed hard in the broken glass.
Sitting there, I calmly picked the shards out of my leg with medical tweezers and dabbed on some antiseptic.
Then I returned to the room I’d lived in for 20 years.
I wanted to pack like those novel heroines I used to read about–calm, graceful, full of quiet sorrow.
But I realized… there wasn’t a single thing here that truly belonged to me.
Leroy used to take pictures with me all the time.
Somewhere along the way, I stopped appearing in them. Now, the people in the framed photos were frozen in time—
ten years ago.
Rachel had been abroad for ten years, and Leroy had pinned after her for all ten.
In the hidden room behind their bridal suite, the walls were covered with photos of Rachel–all secretly taken by pri- vate investigators he’d hired.
I stuffed my ID into my pocket and sat blankly at the edge of the bed.
My phone buzzed. It was a message from Alice Glisson, the nurse at the hospital.
“Ms. Barrett, your father just regained a bit of consciousness. He’s calling your name.”
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