“Bryce, how are you feeling? Any better? Vanessa asked, taking his hand.
“Don’t worry–the doctors say your face can still recover. We’ll treat it once you’re out.
“You know I always knew you were the one who loves me most,” Bryce crooned, and I almost laughed out loud at their syrupy show.
After Vanessa squeezed his hand, Bryce’s face went dark and he snarled, “That bitch skyler got lucky not to die in the fire.”
“She’s got a big stroke of luck this time–when I’m out we’ll make her pay.”
“At first I thought she had found out about us–she was acting so weird that day at the scene–turns out she’s just an idiot.”
“She loves me so much, she does whatever I say–look at her, she fell right into apologizing like a puppy,”
He said it with a self–satisfied smirk.
“Get someone to do her, babe–then we kill her when it’s over, okay?”
Vanessa’s eyes lit up and she kissed him hard on the mouth.
After we kill Skyler we’ll cash in big, and then take over that crappy company your dad runs–no more money problems to fix your face.”
Vanessa’s greed showed plain as day.
I almost forgot old Robert–he’s gotta watch his daughter die, and your wife will still be mine, ha!”
Bryce wrapped his arms around Vanessa and kissed her with ridiculous intensity, their mouths practically stringing spit.
forced my stomach to stay put and finished recording; this was dirt enough to drown them in.
Back home, Bryce and Vanessa flopped on the couch and started bossing me around to sort Bryce’s clothes.
blinked the tears out and managed a shaky, “Okay.”
Skyler, go put Bryce’s stuff back in his room–do I have to tell you every little thing?” Vanessa munched sunflower seeds and scowled.
I know I was wrong, Aunt Vanessa–don’t be mad, I’ll do it now.”
hurried to the room and immediately pulled up the hidden footage.
On the video, Vanessa cuddled up to Bryce like a lovesick teen and cooed, “Bryce, when can we finally be public?”
If we don’t hurry and get rid of Robert and Skyler, my pregnancy will show.”
Bryce put his hand on Vanessa’s belly and replied, “Don’t worry, babe, I’ll give our baby a better life–just hang on a little longer.”
My world stopped–so they even had a kid on the way, and they planned to use my money to raise it.
Babe, I want them dead even more than you do–since the moment I found Skyler, I’ve wanted to kill her right away.”
Bryce kept talking, but I couldn’t hear anything else; my blood turned to ice.
So from the start he’d been plotting to kill me.
I’d done nothing to him–no reason for this hatred–so why?
I finished packing and went into the living room.
Vanessa rolled her eyes at me: “You’re slow–how are you supposed to take care of Bryce if you can’t even move?”
Before I could answer she added, “Whatever, I’ll stay here for a while and look after him–can’t rely on you anyway.”
[bit back a laugh–of course, she just wanted a reason to stay.
Chapter S
“Sure, Aunt Vanessa, thanks for staying. I’ve got studio stuff to handle these next few days–won’t be home.”
Bryce snorted. “Fine, don’t come back if you don’t want to–your aunt’s got you beat anyway.”
I was done playing along.
“Then why don’t you marry her?” I shot back.
Last life he’d compared me to Vanessa a thousand times and used it to gaslight me–this time I didn’t have to play the fool.
I grabbed my bag and left; let them have their little scene, I had work to do.
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.