anwhile, Liam dragged Darla into the room, her wrists pinned tightly behind her back. "Boss," Liam said, throwing her down onto the cold marble floor, "she was caught trying to escape.
The guards intercepted her at the west gate."
Darla fell hard onto her knees, gasping for breath. Her hair was disheveled, clothes torn and dusty. But despite her appearance, she kept her gaze lowered, refusing to et Sebastian’s eyes.
Sebastian stood still, a towering presence by the window. His sharp eyes, cold and murderous, fixated on the woman he once trusted the most.
The sll of cigar smoke lingered in the air as he turned slowly, facing her with a look that could kill.
Never in his worst nightmares did he imagine this day would co.
The woman who tucked him into bed when he was young, who served him als with care, who protected him from nightmares as a child—now stood before him as a traitor.
"You..." Sebastian’s voice was dangerously low. "You cared for all these years... watched grow... stood by when no one else did. And this whole ti... you were planning to stab us in the back?"
His eyes burned with disbelief and cold fury.
mories flashed before him: His parents constantly away on business, his lonely childhood in the Harper mansion.
It was his grandmother, Ophelia, who had hired Darla as his nanny.
Even when he entered high school and lived mostly alone with just the butler and household staff, Darla had remained by his side, catering to his every need.
And now this.
"Tell , Darla," Sebastian stepped closer, each footstep echoing across the silent room. "Was I also your target back then?"
For a long beat, Darla stayed silent. Then slowly, she lifted her head. For the first ti, her gaze t his—and the gentleness that had always been there was gone.
Replaced now by malice, bitterness, and cold calculation.
"Since it’s co to this," she said, her voice like steel, "I won’t deny it.
I ca here with one goal... to rip your family apart... to watch the light disappear from Ophelia’s and Graham’s eyes. I wanted to see their faces when they lost their only heir."
Sebastian’s fists clenched at his sides.
Darla laughed bitterly. "But oh boy... I failed, didn’t I? I underestimated you... underestimated the Harper bloodline. Even after twenty years by your side... I couldn’t finish you."
Without waiting for an order, Liam grabbed the nearby whip from Benjamin and lashed it across Darla’s back.
The sharp crack echoed, making her cry out. But before the second strike could fall, Robert—bleeding, bruised, and barely conscious—lunged forward, shielding her with his body.
"Stop! I did it! I poisoned Jenny!" Robert shouted, coughing blood onto the floor. "Punish ! Kill ! Leave her alone!"
Sebastian let out a low, humorless chuckle. "You two... really think I’m a fool?" He crouched and grabbed Robert by the hair, yanking his battered face upward.
"You might’ve been the one to deliver the poison... but you don’t have the brains or the resources to plan this. You’re pawns... nothing more."
Turning back to Darla, his voice dropped to an icy whisper. "Now... last chance. Who gave you the order? Who’s behind this?"
Both stayed silent. Their lips pressed tightly together, refusing to break.
Sebastian straightened with a heavy sigh. "Fine. Liam... take them to the basent. Book Eleven."
Gasps filled the room. Even Benjamin, used to Sebastian’s ruthlessness, stiffened at the ntion of that particular volu.
Both Darla and Robert froze, their faces draining of color. They knew what Book Eleven ant. The Harper family’s darkest, most sadistic torture thods. Reserved only for the most unforgivable traitors.
"Boss... no... please... anything but that..." Robert whimpered, dragging himself forward. "We’ll never betray you again..."
"Hah! Shaless," Sebastian spat.
Liam reached down to seize Robert by the collar, but before he could, both Robert and Darla acted at lightning speed.
Each pulled a small glass vial from around their necks, popping off the corks with practiced ease. Before anyone could stop them, they swallowed the contents.
"Stop them!" Sebastian roared, lunging forward. But it was already too late.
Foam spilled from their mouths. Their bodies convulsed violently for a few seconds... then fell still.
"Doctor! Now!" Sebastian bellowed.
The family doctor rushed in, checking pulses, performing ergency asures. After a brief mont, he looked up and shook his head. "Gone, sir. Both of them."
Sebastian stood there, his chest heaving, fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white.
"Can you identify the poison?" he asked coldly.
"I’ll need to run tests," the doctor replied. "Expect the results by this evening."
Sebastian said nothing more. With one last disgusted glance at the lifeless bodies, he turned and walked out.
In a dense forest, far away from the mansion... moonlight filtered through the thick canopy, creating patterns of silver on the damp earth.
Aurora stood near the edge of the woods, watching the CCTV footage from a portable device.
On the screen... Calvert was crawling through mud and leaves, looking like a half-dead animal.
His breathing was labored, face sared with dirt, tears, and snot. Every few seconds, he glanced fearfully over his shoulder.
Jack stood beside her, grinning like a mischievous child. "Boss, this guy’s on his last leg. Should we pull him in?"
Aurora closed the screen with a soft click. "No need. I’ll get him myself."
Without waiting for a reply, she made her way deeper into the forest.
Calvert heard footsteps approaching. Panic flooded him. Weakly, he crawled toward the sound, hoping it was rescue... but the sight that greeted him froze him mid-motion.
Black leather boots.
Trembling, he lifted his head and saw her... Aurora... standing tall and cold, her eyes gleaming with dark amusent.
"Now now... Calvert," she said, voice like silk dipped in poison. "I hope you’re enjoying the ga."
"Boss... I... I was wrong... please..." he sobbed. "Spare ... or... or at least kill quickly... I’ll tell you whatever you want... just please... no more..."
Aurora tilted her head thoughtfully. "Hmm... well... I might consider sparing you... but first, I need answers."
"Yes! Yes! Anything! I swear I’ll never... I’ll never even look at another girl! I’ll be a saint! Just... please..." His babbling was interrupted by a sudden weight crashing onto his back.
Lizzie.
The panther pinned him down effortlessly, her massive paw pressing into his ribs. Calvert scread in terror, wetting himself as the panther growled low near his ear.
Aurora wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Lizzie... enough."
The big cat huffed and pulled back but kept a close eye on him.
"Jack," Aurora called over her shoulder, "get him to the interrogation room."
Jack smirked. "With pleasure, Boss."
As Lizzie started toward the villa, Aurora reached out to pet her, but the panther snapped her head away with a disgruntled growl and stalked off.
Aurora raised an eyebrow, mildly amused. "Hmph... soone’s holding a grudge... Well... it’s not my fault, is it?
I didn’t stay away that long by will," she muttered, her voice laced with a trace of bitterness and humor.
And with that... she followed them back to the villa... her eyes glinting with mischief and cold calculation.
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