I held a finger to my lips, signaling for them to be quiet.
“Hello? Grandma whats wrong?”
“Oh, Aurora, you silly girl. You didn’t tell me your sister was coming over! I haven’t prepared a thing.”
That one sentence made my vision swim. It took several deep breaths before I could find my voice.
“Grandma, did you let her in?”
“Why, yes, Huh? She said you knew she was coming. You didn’t?”
Before I could reply. I heard a rustling sound on the other end of the line.
Then, Stella’s sickly sweet voice came through.
Aurora, Grandma and I are waiting for you at home. Make sure you come alone, and hurry, hehe.”
Something was wrong.
she was in a bad state, and she couldn’t hide the excitement in her tone of voice, came through as insanity.
Okay! I’ll come back alone, right now! Stella, you’ll take good care of Grandma, won’t you? You won’t let her get hurt?”
forced myself to stay calm, my voice a soothing coax.
After a few seconds of silence, she finally replied.
Of course. As long as you come, Aurora, Grandma will be perfectly safe.”
The line went dead. I immediately broke into a run toward my car.
The two men I shoved past stared after me, their faces masks of confusion.
Aurora, where are you going? Don’t go!”
Frantic and furious, I slapped Felix across the face as he tried to grab me.
Get off me! Felix, answer me! Did you bring your sister with you? What the hell are you people trying to do?”
My sister? Oh, you mean Stella?“.
he moment he said her name, Gideon, who had been silent, suddenly burst out, “That’s impossible! She’s supposed to be-”
Gideon!”
elix cut him off, which only deepened my suspicion.
glared at Felix. “Your sister is at Grandma Miller’s! I’m telling you, Felix, if anything happens to Grandma, I swear to God I’ll take that psycho down with me!”
My voice was iron, and finally, they told me the truth.
They confirmed that Stella absolutely should not be here.
Felix had sent her abroad two weeks ago.
After I left, she must have thought that with me out of the picture, she and Gideon could finally live happily ever after.
For the first time, she laid her ambitions bare, telling Gideon with a heart full of deluded joy.
“Now that Aurora’s gone, you still have me. I love you more than she ever did. Stop loving her. Love me. Marry me!”
Gideon had looked at her like she was a ghost.
23:01
Dear Brother You Dicked the Wrong Pinsan
Even Felix, who had always doted on her, was stunned.
Mrs. Bernard, who had come to the Durand house to reschedule the wedding, had sneered, giving Stella a sideways glance before speaking slowly to Felix.
“So the cuckoo in the nest has finally pushed the real fledgling out to its death. How delightful.”
That single sentence made the color drain from all three of their faces.
Then Mrs. Bernard had suddenly burst into tears, pointing a trembling finger at Gideon, her voice thick with disappointment.
You blind, blind fool! Your father and I have been sharp our whole lives, how did we raise such an idiot!”
“How many times did we try to warn you? But you never listened! You just thought we were trying to control you! I never should have convinced Aurora to marry you. You don’t deserve her!”
Mrs. Bernard had stormed out of the house in tears.
She left behind Felix and Gideon, who looked as if they had just woken from a long, terrible dream.
And Stella, who was sobbing that Mrs. Bernard looked down on her, that she despised her for being an adopted daughter.
But this time, Felix hadn’t gently wiped the tears from her face.
Instead, with lightning speed, he had contacted a school abroad and put her on a plane out of the country.
23:01
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.