Chapter 71 Wedding Date
ISABEL'S POV
Alright, so I tried her birthday and that didn’t work. That was my first error, and now I only have two trials left. Two chances. I can’t afford to mess them up.
If her birthday didn’t work, then the next logical thing should be Dad’s birthday. After all, he was the one who gave her the necklace in the first place. If anyone’s birthday would be important enough to use as a password, it would be his.
I slowly raised my hand to the keypad, my fingers hovering for a brief second before pressing the first number. I punched the numbers in carefully, making sure I didn’t miss anything. Each tap echoed loudly in my ears, even though the room itself was quiet.
I waited.
I waited for that familiar little tick, then the soft click, then the green light that would tell me I was in.
Instead, a small sharp buzzer sounded, followed immediately by a red light flashing back at me.
Wrong.
My heart dropped.
“Wrong again?” I whispered, more shocked than angry this time.
I stared at the safe like it had personally betrayed me.
If anyone had anything to do with locks or passwords, the average person always uses birthdays. It’s the most common thing in the world. Birthdays are easy to remember, impossible to forget even if you tried. That’s why almost fifty percent of people use them.
So the fact that it wasn’t moms birthday, and now not Dad’s birthday either, was beyond surprising.
If it wasn’t their birthdays, then I might as well just walk away now.
I straightened slowly, my chest rising as I let out a quiet breath. I couldn’t risk guessing another random number. I only had one try left. One mistake and the safe would go into automatic lockdown for twenty-four hours. If that happened, Mom and Dad would immediately know someone tried to open it.
That would be the end of everything for me.
Their birthdays were my only options.
Or so I thought.
I bent down and reached for the painting, preparing to hang it back exactly the way it was. My movements were slower now, heavier. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Everything had gone so smoothly until this moment.
Just as I was about to lift the painting fully, my eyes caught something I hadn’t paid attention to earlier.
I froze.
The painting was of Mom and Dad when they first got married. They looked younger, happier, like the world hadn’t yet complicated itself around them. Dad had his arm around Mom’s waist, and Mom’s smile was soft, almost shy.
And then I noticed the small writing at the bottom left corner of the painting.
Numbers.
A date.
Possibly their marriage date.
My brows pulled together as I leaned closer, my eyes scanning the tiny inscription. The idea hit me so suddenly that I had to grip the frame to steady myself.
What if the password wasn’t their birthdays because it was their wedding date?
The thought made too much sense to ignore.
Come to think of it, after my granddad gave the necklace to my grandma, she gave it to Dad during his wedding week. At least, that was what I had been told growing up. That necklace wasn’t just jewelry to them. It was tied to marriage, to legacy, to tradition.
If Mom had chosen any date to protect it with, it would be that one.
This, however, was a hard gamble.
If I was wrong, then that was it. No more chances. No excuses.
I had two options right now.
Walk away.
Or do this.
I slowly lowered the painting to the floor, careful not to let it make a sound. I memorized the numbers at the corner of the painting, repeating them silently until they stuck.
Then I turned back to the safe.
My fingers hovered again, but this time I didn’t hesitate.
I punched the numbers in.
Each tap felt heavier than the last.
When I was done, I stepped back slightly, my heart pounding as I crossed my fingers without even realizing it.
For a split second, nothing happened.
And then—
Click.
The sound was soft, but to me it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.
The green light blinked on.
I was in.
My eyes widened and a sharp breath left my mouth. I almost jumped in place, a rush of excitement surging through me. I even felt the urge to twirl around like a little girl who just got her favorite toy.
But I didn’t have time for that.
I moved fast.
I opened the safe, my eyes immediately locking onto the necklace resting inside. It was placed carefully, like something sacred. The chain looked delicate, aged, but well preserved. The pendant reflected faintly under the light.
I gently reached for it, reminding myself that this necklace was very old. One careless movement and I could damage it.
That would be a disaster.
I lifted it carefully and placed it gently on one of the pillows on the bed.
I didn’t linger.
I closed the safe immediately and returned the painting, adjusting it inch by inch until it sat exactly the way it had been before. Even the angle had to be perfect. Nothing could look off.
When it was time to carry the necklace out, I didn’t touch it directly again. Instead, I left it resting on the pillow and lifted the pillow itself.
That way, there would be no damage.
No mistakes.
I stepped out of the room slowly, my eyes darting both ways down the hallway. The house was quiet . My ears strained for any sound — footsteps, voices, anything but there was nothing.
Good.
I walked down the hallway, holding the pillow close to my chest, my steps light but steady.
Anna’s door was already wide open.
Of course it was.
I stepped inside her room without hesitation.
The first thing my eyes landed on was the flowers.
They finally hit me full force. My jaw tightened immediately.
That sight aggravated me more than I expected.
I pushed the irritation down and focused.
I scanned her room carefully, my eyes moving from corner to corner. I needed to choose the right spot. Somewhere neutral. Somewhere believable.
I couldn’t leave it in the open. That would be too careless. Anyone would know she was framed.
But I also couldn’t hide it too well. If it was too hidden, then when they searched her room, they might not find it at all.
It had to be a place that made sense.
A place they would check.
I walked toward her bed.
I lifted her pillow and slid the necklace gently underneath, making sure it lay flat and hidden from sight.
This was perfect.
Not too obvious.
Not too hidden.
If they searched properly, they would find it here.
I lowered the pillow back into place, smoothing it carefully like I had never touched it at all.
Hopefully they find it before she comes back and lays on it. That necklace breaking would be a disaster but even then, it would still be in my favor.
Everything would still point back to her.
I straightened and took one last look around her room, making sure nothing looked disturbed.
Then I turned and walked out.
As I closed the door behind me, a wide smile spread across my face.
Phase one was officially complete.
Now all I had to do was wait.
Just a few more hours.
This house was about to be on fire.