Chapter 2

The day I walked out of the mental institution, I went straight to Crestwood Manor, cradling Lila’s ashes.

Six months had passed, and the place had changed so much.

I heard there was a new lady of the house.

Julian Thorne was throwing a lavish birthday party for his beloved Seraphina.

He planned to announce their engagement there.

“What a lively party,” I murmured, my fingertip tracing the photo on the urn.

In the quiet courtyard, Lila’s laughter suddenly rang out.

“Anya, if I hadn’t died, you’d be the lady of Crestwood Manor right now, wouldn’t you?”

“You might even be getting married soon. What a shame, though...”

“Nothing to be ashamed of.”

I turned my head. Lila had two adorable dimples when she smiled.

“Lila, I’m taking you inside. Tonight is only going to get livelier.”

I extended my hand to thin air.

Inside the mansion, Julian Thorne, impeccably dressed in a custom-tailored suit, held his darling Seraphina’s hand, accepting guests’ congratulations.

“Thank you all for coming to Seraphina’s birthday celebration,” he toasted, raising his glass.

“On this occasion, I’m pleased to announce that Seraphina and I will be engaged next month.”

Amid thunderous applause, Seraphina smiled demurely, the diamond bracelet on her wrist flashing, practically blinding everyone.

The style was exactly the same as the one Lila cherished most before she died.

Beside them, a man in a blue suit stepped forward, laughing.

“Julian, you’ll be my brother-in-law soon, part of the family. You’ve got to look out for me, alright?”

“If you dare to hurt my sister, I won’t let you off the hook!”

A hideous scar stretched across his face.

It was from the vase I’d smashed over his head six months ago.

“Brother, I’ll take good care of Seraphina.”

Julian Thorne chuckled softly, wrapping an arm around Seraphina’s waist.

I stood in the corner, watching it all. The urn in my arms felt like it was burning hot.

Lila’s voice rang out again, tinged with a sob:

“Anya, it was him. He’s the one who trapped me in the villa, tore at me, defiled me...”

“Shhh, don’t rush.”

I gently patted the urn, just as I used to soothe her to sleep.

A faint smile touched my lips.

“The real show is about to begin.”

They drank and chatted, the party at its peak.

Suddenly, with a crash, the grand crystal chandelier in the center of the ballroom plummeted to the floor.

Guests screamed and scattered.

A “gift box,” wrapped in gold ribbon, tumbled from the second floor, landing with a heavy thud on the carpet.

The wrapping paper tore open, revealing the unconscious man inside.

It was Jax, the thug leader who’d disgraced Lila’s ashes six months ago.

Everyone shrieked.

“What’s going on? What happened?”

“Ah!”

Seraphina screamed, burying her face in Julian Thorne’s chest.

Julian Thorne’s face went utterly pale. He stared at the “gift box,” then sharply turned to the entrance.

When his gaze landed on me, his pupils constricted violently.

“Anya?”

He gasped, “What are you doing here? You’re not….”

“... Aren’t you supposed to be locked up in a mental hospital, talking to thin air?”

Julian Thorne’s face drained of all color.