Julian had already inford her beforehand that Samantha was curious about her family background. So, the latter was being nice to her to learn more about her.
"You can say that."
"Oh really? Tell more about your family then. I’m curious."
A light grin stretched on Anastasia’s lips. Thankfully, she already had her backup story prepared beforehand.
"My family died in a plane crash, and before you ask for their nas, I’m not comfortable saying it. I’d rather keep it hidden."
Samantha wasn’t convinced. But she didn’t ask for any more information. All she did was give Anastasia a tight smile.
"We should head back since we’ll be leaving soon," she said.
Samantha walked two steps behind Anastasia as she glared at the latter. Anastasia could feel the hostility oozing from Samantha but she didn’t bother with her.
They reached the living room the others were and Anastasia found Izara standing beside her parents. Desmond was nowhere in sight.
The two exchanged a brief eye contact before tearing their gaze from each other.
"Thanks for doing business with us, your highness. Your generosity will forever be rembered," said Xander as he shook Theous’ hands.
The king only nodded at him while wondering why Xander was thanking him so sincerely as if he hadn’t just threatened him.
When they were done, they left the palace.
**
It had been three days since Anastasia returned from Regalith. The construction of the new building was about to begin, but she didn’t need to oversee it herself unless she felt like it. Her focus had to remain on appearing busy—both to Xander and Samantha. And she was. Busy, that is. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she worked on her computer.
Thanks to Alex’s lessons in basic hacking skills, Anastasia had spent the past few days infiltrating security caras positioned around the properties of her prey—the very people who had violated her during the crimson hunt. She watched their every move from the safety of her room, invisible and undetected.
Anastasia started with Mr. Russell. He’d been one of the three people she t at Mr. Justin’s anniversary after she made her first appearance to both Xander and Samantha.
She’d been watching him, morizing his every routine. It turned out he had a wife and three beautiful daughters who were almost the sa age as Anastasia.
Anastasia observed him through the CCTV cara she’d hacked into, her eyes glued to the screen. He was on a phone call, a mug in his hand that he sipped from occasionally.
His expression was calm, even solemn—nothing out of the ordinary. But when his wife entered the room, his deanor shifted. He greeted her with a warm smile and a soft peck on the cheek. The sa warmth extended to his daughters as they ca to him, his gestures those of a devoted family man.
It was almost hard to believe this was the sa man responsible for so much pain.
Anastasia had been watching them for a while, and she could already see he was a good father and husband. Unfortunately, he wasn’t a good person.
Her concentration was cut short when Anastasia’s phone rang with a call. She checked it, and it was Tracie.
"Xavier and I will be heading to Faville tomorrow. Will you be there?" She asked.
Anastasia’s piercing blue eyes remained fixed on the glowing computer screen, her focus unyielding. It had been over two months since she’d awoken, and even longer since she’d been trapped in that coma.
She had given them enough ti—more than they deserved—to revel in their blissful ignorance. But the clock had run out. Now, it was their turn to pay. To face the consequences of their sins and, ultimately, to praise the devil in hell for the chaos she was about to unleash.
"No, I won’t be available tomorrow. I have sowhere I need to be," she replied.
There was a slight pause before Tracie asked, "Where? What will you be doing?"
"I have to get rid of a pest," Anastasia replied.
There was another pause again, but this ti, the silence was longer before Tracie finally spoke. "I’m coming to your house right now." Then without waiting for Anastasia to reply, she hung up on the phone.
Anastasia had moved out of Julian’s house a few days ago, settling into her own space after Tracie secured her a bank card loaded with funds. Staying with Julian any longer would have risked exposing their carefully crafted lie, especially if Xander decided to show up unannounced at his door.
However, Anastasia didn’t get a house in Xattlewood. She got one in Faville where she can be closer to the girls and Radiantia.
Anastasia made herself so coffee and sat back down on her chair.
It was a Saturday, the only ti of the week Mr. Russell went to the club to have fun.
Anastasia quickly checked the ti, it was still noon.
"He usually leaves his ho around 8pm. So, I have enough ti to get ready," she said to herself. "Thankfully he lives here in Faville, so I only have to drive for an hour."
A few hours later, Anastasia was all dolled up to leave.
Anastasia wore a body-hugging black dress that perfectly accentuated her curves, the high slit on one side revealing just enough leg to turn heads. The open-back design added an extra touch of allure, leaving no one’s gaze indifferent.
As usual, she applied heavy makeup to conceal her surgical scars, but today, she decided to contour her face a little differently, experinting with subtle changes that highlighted her sharp features in a fresh, striking way.
Anastasia looked at herself in the mirror and a smile graced her lips as she appreciated her appearance. To think she needed to seduce her violator just to teach him a lesson felt wrong yet morable.
Just when she was done, she heard a doorbell ring echo in the living room. She instantly recalled Tracie.
Anastasia opened the door and Tracie frowned at her appearance before she closed the door behind her.
"Where are you going dressed like that?" She asked, confusion evident in her.
"I’m going to et a long-ti friend of mine."
"What friend?" Tracie asked, and then her gaze landed on the picture that was on the table.
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