Amelia arrived at Nathan Carter's estate like a storm.
Her heels struck the marble driveway sharply, anger radiating off her as she marched toward the gates—only to be stopped cold by armed security.
"Move," she snapped.
The guards didn't even blink.
Denied entry.
Her face twisted in disbelief. She yanked out her phone and dialed without hesitation.
The call connected.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Amelia screamed the moment Ava picked up. "Are you insane? How dare you arrest your own uncle? The police won't even let him out—are you trying to start a family war?!"
Ava didn't raise her voice.
"Uncle stopped being family the moment he started fanning the flames," she replied calmly. "He should be grateful I only had him arrested instead of leaking his crimes to the public."
Amelia froze.
"And while we're on the topic," Ava continued coolly, "I'm not done with your husband or your father's side yet. So go home."
The line went dead.
Amelia screamed, hurling the phone against the car seat before slamming the door shut. She sped off toward her in-laws' residence—only to be stopped again.
Access denied.
This time, even the gates didn't bother opening.
---
Elsewhere
Prim's phone vibrated.
He answered without looking at the screen.
"Is everything under control?" Daniel's voice came through, calm as ever.
"Yes," Prim replied. "I've already located my dad's assistant. I know exactly where my father is."
Daniel paused slightly. "Good."
"Tomorrow we'll handle the backlash," Prim added. "And… thanks for shutting the news down earlier."
"Don't thank me," Daniel said lightly. "It makes me uncomfortable anyway tomorrow what ever you do I will make sure the media paint it the way you wanted."
Prim chuckled. "You're being unusually kind. Michael's with you, isn't he?"
A beat.
"…Yes," Daniel admitted. "And he's pissed. He doesn't know what's going on."
Prim laughed softly. "Good thing I'm not there then."
Daniel sighed. "James is furious too. He's blaming you for the race."
"Tell him I'm dead," Prim said lazily.
Daniel actually laughed this time before ending the call.
Daniel parked the car in front of his villa and glanced sideways.
"Happy now?" he said casually. "Nothing happened to him. Tomorrow he'll explain everything."
Michael said nothing.
But his clenched jaw said enough.
Michael ignored Daniel and got out of the car, lighting a cigarette as he walked toward the guest wing. He stopped the moment he pushed the door open.
The room smelled damp. One side of the ceiling was stained, the carpet half-rolled, tools abandoned near the wall like the place had been stripped and forgotten. Definitely not livable.
Michael clicked his tongue, crushed the cigarette out on the window ledge, and turned around.
Daniel's door was half open.
Inside, the lights were warm and soft. Steam drifted faintly from the bathroom. Daniel stood by the bed, already loosening his cuffs, movements unhurried.
"What happened to the guest room?" Michael asked, leaning against the doorframe.
Daniel didn't look up. "I let someone stay there for a few days. They managed to mess up the pipes. I thought it was fixed."
As he spoke, he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside casually.
Michael frowned. "That's annoying. You let someone stay in my room? And why do you even have only two rooms in a place this big?"
Daniel stepped past him without answering, heading for the bathroom.
Then he stopped.
"Did you smoke?"
His voice was low. Flat.
Michael froze for half a second, then coughed and scratched the back of his neck. "It's been a while. My hand just—itched."
Daniel turned slowly.
The next second, Michael was grabbed by the collar and dragged forward. The bathroom door slammed open, and cold water burst from the showerhead as Daniel shoved him inside.
"The hell is wrong with you?" Michael shouted, flinching as the water soaked through his clothes.
"Strip. Shower." Daniel's tone didn't rise.
Michael crossed his arms instinctively. "Are you sick or something?"
Daniel stepped closer, unfazed by the water, eyes sharp. "You smell like smoke. You know I hate it. Yet you still did it."
He reached out and tugged Michael's jacket open, movements efficient, almost clinical.
"Are you trying me," Daniel continued, "or testing me?"
Michael slapped his hand away. "So what if I smoked? Other people smoke. You don't act like this with them."
Daniel paused.
"Do they live with me?" he asked quietly. "You and Prim are the only ones who know I can't stand it."
He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing just enough. "So tell me—am I that unimportant?"
Michael opened his mouth. Closed it.
"…Fine," he muttered. "I'll shower. I won't smoke again. Just—stop."
Daniel didn't move back.
"Why should I leave?" he said calmly. "I'm bathing too. Don't make it weird unless you're the one having strange thoughts."
He turned the water warmer. "The broken pipe affects this bathroom as well. We save water."
Michael felt the wrongness settle in his chest, heavy and undefined. He couldn't point to anything concrete—nothing provable.
With a sigh, he stripped off his soaked clothes and stepped fully under the water.
Daniel followed, just as composed, turning his back to adjust the temperature before reaching for the soap. He scrubbed Michael's shoulder briefly, efficiently, like correcting a problem.
Michael shivered, jaw tight, saying nothing.
The Next Day
Ava arrived at her father's company early.
The boardroom was already full—shareholders seated in rigid silence, some restless, some confident enough to believe they were untouchable. The glass walls reflected the city skyline, cold and sharp, just like the tension hanging in the air.
Before anyone could speak, Ava gestured to the assistants.
Files were placed neatly in front of every shareholder.
"Open them," she said.
One by one, pages turned.
Faces drained of color.
Hands trembled.
"So," Ava continued calmly, folding her hands on the table, "this will be very simple."
Her gaze swept across the room—measured, unblinking.
"If you had any hand in spreading rumors about my parents' deaths, or used their accident as an opportunity to run illegal transactions through my father's company—stand up now."
No one moved.
Ava smiled faintly.
"Otherwise, the contents of those files will be released nationwide. Don't worry—there will be no backlash on my father's company. I've already taken care of that."
The silence cracked.
Chairs scraped back.
One by one, several shareholders stood up, stiff with fear.
Ava nodded approvingly. "Good. Smart choice."
She leaned back slightly. "Your secrets won't be exposed, and your families will remain untouched. But from this moment on, you are cut off from my father's empire."
Her eyes sharpened.
"If rumors surface again, you will take full responsibility. The legal team will assist you—with compliance, of course."
She turned to those still seated.
"As for the rest of you," Ava said lightly, "I'm still a child. So I'll need your help making this company thrive."
The expressions around the table shifted rapidly—shock, fear, calculation.
The company lawyer immediately stepped in, finalizing the resolutions before anyone could object.
By noon, the news broke.
Shareholders exposed for spreading malicious rumors. Internal cleanup underway.
Soon after, the Hayes family released a statement.
Emily and her husband were safe, currently staying with family, reconnecting and working on their marriage. The rumors of death were false.
The public believed it.
And by evening, John had returned—and taken full control of everything.
---
Nathan Carter's House
"So… where are my parents?" Prim asked.
"They were discharged early," John replied. "Left without informing anyone. But they'll contact you soon."
Prim and Ava exchanged a glance and nodded.
"And the person who caused the accident?" Ava asked.
John's expression darkened. "He's been caught. It was Mary's father. He was bribed by Chen Yulan."
Ava's jaw tightened.
"What did you do to them?" Prim asked.
"I'll leave Mary, her father, and Chen Yulan to you," John said evenly. "The Chen family and the others involved—I'll handle."
With that, he turned and left.
---
Afternoon
Ava and Prim received a call from their parents.
After some casual conversation, the call ended.
Prim's fingers flew over his phone. He tracked the call location and sneered.
"I thought so," he said. "They're still in the country."
Ava frowned deeply. "Why are they acting like children?"
She grabbed the car keys. Prim followed without a word.
They drove for over an hour, deeper into the forest, until a massive mansion appeared through the trees—hidden, isolated, unreal.
They parked and slipped through the gates quietly.
Just as they were about to enter—
A girl stood there.
Around seventeen.
Looking directly at them.
"Mum?" Ava and Prim said at the same time.
The girl's eyes sparkled.
---
Inside the Mansion
Ava and Prim were speechless.
Their mother stood before a mirror, admiring her reflection—young, flawless. Their father lounged nearby, scrolling through his phone, looking even younger than them.
"…Did you two get surgery or something?" Ava finally managed.
"Nope," Emily replied cheerfully. "We woke up like this. Surprise!"
She spun lightly. "We ran tests. We're healthier than ever. I'm twenty-one years younger."
She laughed. "And your stupid father is eighteen now. Same age as you."
Prim stared. "That's… supernatural."
"So you wanted to run away and start over?" Prim asked slowly, eyes narrowing.
"What—use you two as test subjects?" Nathan scoffed.
Ava stood abruptly. "I need water."
She dragged Prim into the kitchen.
"How did you recognize her?" Ava demanded. "You've never seen Mum's younger photos."
"I was about to ask you the same thing," Prim replied.
They froze.
Their eyes widened.
"…We really went back," they whispered together.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Ava hissed, smacking his arm. "I thought I was losing my mind!"
"If I told you, you'd have called me stupid," Prim shot back.
Silence.
"…Did they turn younger because of us?" Prim asked.
Ava inhaled sharply. "We are in serious trouble."
"So that damn system followed through?" Prim muttered. "Wow. We're dead."
"We shouldn't interfere," Ava said quietly. "Remember what happened last time."
Prim chuckled darkly. "We nearly died."
"Exactly."
"So we act shocked. New to all this supernatural nonsense," Prim concluded.
---
> Alright, back to you.
I can practically feel it—you're itching, aren't you? No answers, too many questions, and zero patience.
Since my sister was kind enough to let you peek into the lives of the rich, I'll do you one better.
We'll show you everything.
Yes. Even the supernatural.
We're heading back to where it all began.
The explosion.
Buckle up. And seriously—leave your brain behind.
Prim winked.