Chapter 166: Fresh Food

ANNA'S POV

The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual.

For a moment, I just lay there staring at the ceiling, letting everything that had happened yesterday slowly return to my mind. The video. The chaos at the ceremony. Ryan leaving. Isabel’s sudden reappearance and her perfect little act.

My jaw tightened slightly.

I still hadn’t forgotten the way she removed my hand from her shoulder.

That single moment had confirmed what my instincts had already been telling me.

She hadn’t changed.

Not even a little.

I sat up slowly, running a hand through my hair as I took a deep breath. Today was the day I would confirm everything. If my suspicion was right, Isabel had made a mistake by coming back into this house.

And today, I would find it.

I got out of bed and stepped into the hallway. The house was quiet, but as I walked downstairs, a smell suddenly caught my attention.

Food.

Fresh food.

I frowned slightly and followed the smell toward the kitchen.

And what I saw there almost made me stop walking.

Isabel.

She was in the kitchen.

Cooking.

Actually cooking.

For a few seconds, I just stood there watching her from the doorway. She moved around calmly, placing plates on the counter and checking what was inside a pot.

I blinked slowly.

In all the time I had known Isabel, I had never, ever seen her make breakfast for anyone.

Not once.

That alone was enough to make me suspicious.

But instead of confronting her, a different thought immediately crossed my mind.

This was the opportunity I needed.

If she was busy in the kitchen, that meant she wasn’t in her room.

And that meant her phone might still be there.

My heart started beating a little faster, but I kept my face neutral as I stepped away quietly before she could notice me standing there.

I walked upstairs again, this time heading straight toward the guest room where Isabel had slept.

The hallway was silent.

No one else seemed to be awake yet.

Good.

I reached the door and gently pushed it open.

My eyes immediately started searching the room.

Then I saw it.

Her phone.

It was lying on the bed.

My chest tightened slightly as I walked over and picked it up.

This was it.

For a second, I hesitated.

Then I pressed the power button.

The screen lit up.

And to my surprise…

There was no password.

I almost let out a quiet laugh.

So confident.

So careless.

“Thank you,” I muttered under my breath.

I opened her messages immediately and began scrolling.

At first, I saw random chats.

But then a name caught my attention.

Melissa.

My finger stopped moving.

Slowly, I opened the chat.

And the moment I started reading, my blood began to boil.

There it was.

Clear as day.

“Phase one of the plan worked perfectly.”

My grip on the phone tightened.

I kept reading.

“They completely believed my act. I'm back in the house again.”

Another message followed.

“The way you helped distract them yesterday was amazing. Anna will never be with Ryan again after what she saw.”

My jaw clenched hard.

Anger surged through my chest like fire.

So it was true.

All of it.

Melissa creating that scene outside.

The projector getting hacked.

The video being played.

It was all planned.

All of it.

Just as I suspected

And Isabel had been right in the middle of it.

I quickly pulled out my own phone and started recording the screen as I scrolled through the entire conversation.

There were more messages.

More evidence.

Plans.

Discussions.

Even excitement from both of them after the ceremony was ruined.

Every second I read made my anger grow stronger.

But I stayed calm.

I had to.

Because today, everything was going to end.

After recording everything, I quietly placed Isabel’s phone exactly where I found it and left the room.

By the time I went downstairs again, breakfast had already been served.

Everyone was at the table.

Even Dad looked a little better compared to yesterday, though the shock was still clearly written on his face.

Isabel stood near the table, smiling softly like the perfect daughter.

Dad even looked slightly impressed.

I almost laughed.

If only he knew.

We all sat down.

The table was filled with food Isabel had prepared.

But before anyone could start eating, I cleared my throat slightly.

“I want to show you something,” I said.

Everyone looked at me.

Dad nodded slowly. “Go ahead.”

I unlocked my phone and walked over to him first.

Without saying anything, I played the recording and handed him the phone.

Dad looked down at the screen.

At first, his expression was neutral.

Then it slowly changed.

His face tightened.

His breathing became heavier.

And then… he closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands.

Mom frowned immediately.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Dan looked confused too.

“Anna, what is that?”

Without answering, I turned to Dan and handed him the phone.

“Read it.”

He did.

And within seconds, his eyes widened.

“What the hell…” he whispered.

Mom looked between all of us, now clearly worried.

“What is going on?”

I walked over to her slowly and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Mom… just take it easy while reading this,” I said quietly.

Then I handed her the phone.

She started reading.

And the moment she understood what she was looking at… everything changed.

Her face went pale.

Her hands started shaking.

Slowly, she lifted her head and looked at Isabel.

Isabel was still standing there, confused.

“What’s going on?” she asked. “Why are you all looking at me like that?”

Mom walked toward her.

Without saying a word—

SLAP!

The sound echoed across the dining room.

Everyone froze.

The slap was loud and hard.

Isabel’s head snapped to the side.

Before she could even react, Mom spat on her.

Now that move there caught me by surprise

“I regret ever adopting you,” Mom said, her voice shaking with anger and pain.

Isabel looked completely stunned.

“M-mom…”

“Don’t call me that!” Mom shouted, tears streaming down her face. “I don’t want to hear anything from your mouth! Every word you say will just be another lie!”

Isabel looked around the room in shock.

Then her eyes finally landed on me.

I smiled.

Slowly.

Coldly.

“Did you really think I told you to come stay with us again just like that?” I said as I walked closer to her. “It was a trick. I needed you close so I could go through your phone and confirm my suspicion.”

Her expression changed instantly.

“And guess what?” I continued. “I was right.”

The look in her eyes shifted.

From shock…

To anger.

Pure anger.

Before anyone could react, Isabel suddenly screamed and grabbed a table knife from the dining table.

Everything happened so fast.

She lunged straight at me.

Trying to stab me.

“Anna!” Mom screamed.

But I moved quickly.

I caught her wrist before the knife could reach me and used her own momentum against her, pushing her away hard.

Isabel stumbled backward.

Her foot slipped.

She tripped.

And fell.

For a few seconds… no one moved.

She was lying on the floor.

Completely still.

Something felt wrong.

Very wrong.

I walked toward her slowly.

My heart pounding.

Then I turned her over.

The moment I saw her face—

My eyes widened.

My legs gave out and I fell back onto the floor.

My hand shot up to cover my mouth.

The knife.

It had gone straight through Isabel’s left eye when she fell.

Blood was already spreading across the floor.

She wasn’t moving.

Not breathing.

Nothing.

“She’s… she’s…”

My voice trembled.

“She’s dead.”

Mom screamed.

The maids scattered in panic.

And the entire house descended into chaos.