Chapter 1 Secret
Genesis's POV：
I discovered my nominal uncle Eli killing someone and betraying the family.
And he also found me.
He was going to kill me!
It all started an hour ago.
Today was my grandfather Don Martinez's birthday, but I could only hide in the kitchen helping out.
Because I was just an adopted daughter in this house, and a mute one at that. They thought I was an embarrassment.
But I wasn't sad. I just wanted to grow up safely until eighteen, get into college and leave this place to live my own life.
But now Susan was asking for my help.
"Please take these cakes to the front hall. We're really swamped."
Susan was a maid in this house and one of the few people who treated me well. I agreed to help.
But as soon as I reached the front hall entrance, my adoptive mother Savannah stopped me.
"What are you doing here?"
Savannah didn't like me, so she wouldn't allow me to appear in front of those guests.
I silently pointed to the desserts in my hands, indicating that I was just delivering them.
My adoptive mother clearly didn't believe me. She sneered.
"Trying to use cake delivery as an excuse to get into the front hall? A bastard like you doesn't deserve it!"
She thought I was Christian's illegitimate daughter. Ten years ago, on the first day I was adopted, she held a gun to my head wanting to blow my brains out.
If Jordan hadn't stopped her, I probably would have died long ago.
Even after Jordan explained repeatedly that I was just the orphan of his friend, she refused to believe it and continued to hate me.
She snatched the cake from my hands and gave it to another server.
"Maria's brooch fell in the back garden. Go find it for her! Don't come back until you find it!"
I simply nodded and walked toward the back garden. Over the years, I had learned to go along with her. That way she wouldn't beat or scold me.
As I passed through the corridor, I saw Maria laughing and chatting with others.
I immediately noticed that the brooch on her dress was properly pinned to her clothes.
I understood. Savannah was making an excuse to send me to the back garden, to make me freeze outside in this winter.
But I still went to the back garden. The entire Martinez family was lively now, but I just wanted to be alone.
I climbed up the oak tree in the back garden. Only here was the one place that made me feel safe.
I sat on the oak tree's branches, listening to the cheerful laughter, but calculating in my heart how much longer until I could leave this place.
One more semester and I could go to college. I planned to apply to universities abroad so I could completely escape the Martinez family.
Suddenly, an unusual gasping sound came from below my feet.
I looked down and saw my uncle Eli with a woman!
Eli wore a burgundy shirt with the collar wide open, his solid chest muscles exposed.
He supported himself against the tree trunk with one hand, leaning close to the woman in front of him. His large hand traced along her waistline all the way down, slipping under her skirt hem and slowly moving upward.
This woman was the family consigliere Rebecca!
"You're already wet..." Eli said suggestively close to Rebecca's ear.
Rebecca tilted her neck back emotionally, moaning with hazy eyes.
My face immediately turned red. I never expected to stumble upon such a scene!
I quickly retreated, but my eyes still stared at them.
Rebecca's desperate voice continued. "Honey, give it to me! I want you!"
"So impatient?" Eli laughed playfully.
I saw him pull off Rebecca's underwear and throw it on the grass.
Rebecca lifted her leg to circle Eli's waist, impatiently rubbing against Eli.
Even from the tree I could see Eli was very large. My heart pounded wildly. I remembered my classmates at school discussing men's sizes.
Eli was bigger than anything they had talked about!
I couldn't help but clench my thighs together.
At this moment, Eli grabbed Rebecca's cheeks. "Were you like this when you begged Christian to screw you? Telling him about my moves, does he screw you until you wet yourself?"
Before Rebecca could even show a look of terror on her face, Eli directly pulled out a handgun and pressed it against her forehead.
Bang!
Without any hesitation, Eli shot Rebecca's head off.
My blood quickly turned cold!
I covered my mouth tightly, trying not to make any sound!
But the next second, Eli with blood still on his face looked up and met my gaze!
He had discovered me!
My mind went blank. I couldn't think about anything else and quickly slid down from the tree, running frantically toward my room.
I hoped he hadn't seen my face clearly!
Running all the way back to my room, I immediately locked my door.
But this didn't make me feel safe. Rebecca was the family's most loyal member. Eli killed her and involved Christian. He had clearly betrayed the family!
Jordan was attending the birthday party now and had no time to take care of me. I needed to get through tonight, then tell him about this and seek Jordan's protection.
Just as I was quickly planning all this, my door handle was suddenly turned!
I looked at the door in terror. The handle turned bit by bit. Someone was using a key to open my door from outside.
It was Eli!
It had to be him!
My whole body began trembling!
Over these ten years, although I hadn't had much contact with Eli, I had heard Susan and others mention him many times.
Legend had it he was the most vicious in the family. If you fell into others' hands you might still have a chance to survive, but falling into his hands, almost no one lived.
I turned and ran toward the window. Although I was on the third floor, if I could jump out the window, I still had a chance to survive.
I was fast, but Eli was faster.
He rushed in before I could jump down, grabbed my arm and pinned me against the window.
"Little mute, you run pretty fast!"
His gravelly magnetic voice rubbed against my ear.
Eli's large hand gripped my neck, and that silver gun I had seen before pressed against my head.
"Little mute, you saw something you shouldn't have seen. I can only send you to meet God!"