Robert’s face lood inches from hers, twisted with pure hatred, his hands locked tight around her throat. Lorie’s body jerked beneath him, her lungs screaming for air, her strength fading fast. The world around her blurred, colors bleeding together, sound muffled like she was sinking underwater.
She flailed helplessly, fingers clawing at his wrists, but he didn’t budge. His grip only grew more brutal.
"You brought this on yourself," he snarled, his spit hot against her cheek. "Now I’ll make sure you never ruin anything again."
Her limbs trembled, weakening, but her survival instinct kicked in hard. With what little strength she had left, Lorie stretched her arm out, searching blindly for sothing, anything she could use to save herself.
Her hand knocked into the side table, and a glass tipped, shattering against the floor. Cracking sound filled the air, splinters flying in every direction.
But Robert didn’t even flinch.
He was deaf to the noise, blind to everything but his own fury. His focus was singular. His expression was pure madness. Tonight, he would end her.
Her eyes darted down, catching the glint of broken glass just within reach.
With a final burst of adrenaline, Lorie grabbed the jagged shard. Her fingers wrapped around it, slicing her palm in the process, but she didn’t care. She swung it upward with all the force she could muster and slashed it across Robert’s face.
"Uh..." A scream tore from his throat.
He recoiled, his grip loosening instantly as blood stread down his face.
Lorie didn’t waste a second. She shoved him with all the strength she had left and scrambled across the floor, coughing and gasping for air. Her throat burned, but survival drove her forward.
Behind her, Robert rose slowly, blood trickling down one side of his face. His eyes burned like fire, his expression monstrous.
"You bitch," he snarled. "You dare lay a hand on ?"
He lunged toward her again, but Lorie managed to slip away just in ti, stumbling out of the room, feet dragging across the floor as she made a break for the door.
Her fingers fumbled with the doorknob, twisting it desperately.
Click. Click.
But the door wouldn’t open. Her heart plumted. Panic gripped her chest.
"You think you can run?" ca his voice from behind.
She spun around, trembling, eyes wide in fear.
Robert stood in the hallway, a twisted grin on his blood-sared face. He held the key aloft, letting it dangle from one finger.
"Co on," he said mockingly. "Take it. If you can, I’ll even let you go."
Lorie didn’t move. She stood frozen, her breath ragged.
"What’s wrong?" he taunted, stepping closer. "You love gas, don’t you? This is your chance. Let’s play. Co and take it."
Her eyes locked onto the key. It was her only shot at freedom, but she wasn’t stupid. The second she moved toward him, he’d strike.
Robert tilted his head, voice dripping with cruelty. "What happened to that fire, huh? You tried to kill your own sister. You were so bold then. Where is that courage now?"
Lorie raised the broken shard in her hand, holding it out with shaking arms. "Don’t co near ," she warned.
Robert laughed. "That little piece of glass?" he scoffed. "You think that’s a weapon? Oh, don’t be ridiculous. You should’ve grabbed a knife if you wanted to scare ."
He took another step forward, grinning. "Go ahead. Show what you have got. Let’s see if you are as dangerous as you think."
Lorie’s eyes welled with tears, but her stare never wavered—pain, anger, betrayal, and years of resentnt burned inside her like wildfire.
"Why are you doing this?" Her voice trembled at first but grew sharper with each word. "You are ready to kill your wife for an outsider? For Anne?"
She spat Anne’s na like venom.
"I hate her." As she spoke, her eyes stayed locked on him, tracking his every move. "She is just an orphan, yet she has taken everything from —everything. She managed to steal my place in my family. She even took the love of my parents. When she did well in school, my father bought her gifts. I’m his daughter. I should’ve been the one he prioritized. But all I ever heard was how amazing she was, and how I needed to be more like ’my sister.’"
Her voice shot up, filled with rage.
"She is not my sister. She is my rival. Because of her, my life has turned into a nightmare. Because of her, even you, my own husband, have turned against . I hate her. And if I get the chance, I won’t think twice about ending her."
Robert’s face twisted in rage.
"Shut up," he bellowed. "You idiotic, selfish woman. You have no idea what kind of hell you have unleashed."
His eyes blazed with fury, but beneath it, Lorie saw a flicker of fear. It chilled her to the bone.
"I told you to stay out of her way," he growled. "I warned you, but you didn’t listen. You thought you were being clever, plotting behind my back."
He took another step forward, and Lorie flinched.
"Do you even know who you went up against? You are already dead. Even if I don’t kill you right here, they will. And trust , you are already dood."
His words hit her like ice water. Lorie’s body tensed, the air around her turning thick and suffocating.
Robert’s face twisted again with pure malice.
"But I can’t let you walk out of here. If you leave this house, I will die. And I’m not going down alone."
Lorie trembled, a cold realization crashing down on her like a tidal wave. For the first ti, she truly understood how badly she had misjudged Anne.
Anne wasn’t that timid, voiceless girl anymore—the one Lorie used to bully, isolate, and push around. That girl was gone. Ever since Anne married Augustine, the balance of power had shifted. Even Robert, the local gang leader, was now visibly shaken.
It was clear he was afraid of Augustine.
He wasn’t just so wealthy businessman. He was sothing far more dangerous, soone with power that made even n like Robert tread carefully. He was soone she shouldn’t offend.
Lorie’s chest tightened with regret. Her mother had warned her, told her to make peace with Anne. If she had just listened, things might have turned out differently.
’Maybe it’s not too late,’ she thought, desperation rising. ’Maybe if I get out of here and apologize to Anne, she might forgive . After all, the Clair family raised her."
But none of that would matter if Robert killed her first.
Her eyes darted back to him, and her blood froze. He was stepping toward her again, slowly, confidently, like a predator circling in for the kill.
Lorie sprinted toward the kitchen.
"Where do you think you’re going?" Robert’s voice followed, cold and mocking. "You can’t hide. There is nowhere in this house you’ll be safe."
Lorie skidded into the kitchen, breath ragged. With a surge of adrenaline, she grabbed the largest knife from the stand and turned to face him.
Her hands shook, but her voice was fierce. "Who said I’m hiding? I’m fighting my way out."
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