Disappointment was plastered all over Colton’s face.

“Goodness, Kenzie! I really thought you’d finally learned how to act like a rational adult! Guess I overestimated you.

“Kinsey has cancer, and you’re still attacking her. Jesus Christ. She’s your sister. Do you seriously hate her that much?”

Kenzie’s face was drained of color. Then a thin, bitter smile pulled at her lips.

“Wow,” she said with a scoff. “Colton, you really are this stupid.”

“From when we were kids until right now, I’ve been the one getting hurt over and over!”

“That bitch doesn’t have cancer!” she snapped. “She’s fucking lying to your face! And you’re eating it up like always!”

“And that car accident back then. Do you even know what really—”

“That’s enough!” he cut her off sharply. “What now? Another made-up story to smear Kinsey?”

“I should’ve seen this coming,” he said coldly. “You really are a cruel person. I don’t care what it takes. You’re apologizing to Kinsey today.”

Kenzie met his gaze without flinching.

“No. I didn’t do anything wrong,” she said slowly. “You did. You can’t tell right from wrong.”

Tucked in his arms, Kinsey spoke up, her voice gentle and careful.

“Colton, please,” she murmured. “Let it go. My sister’s never liked me. She thinks I stole everything from her. You’re married. I shouldn’t have come. From now on, don’t worry about me. I’ll just disappear.”

She started to stand, but Colton immediately stopped her.

“No,” he said. “You’re staying.”

Then he turned back to Kenzie.

“I gave you a chance. Since you refuse to admit your mistake, you’re not going anywhere. Think it over.”

He left with Kinsey, ordering the bodyguards to lock Kenzie in the basement.

Kenzie had once told him how terrified she was of the dark. She had trusted all her vulnerabilities with him.

But now, he was using them against her.

When someone knows you inside out, they know exactly where to cut.

In the basement, time collapsed. No food. No water. No light. She had no idea how many days passed.

She lay there staring into the darkness, anger slowly rotting into exhaustion, then into something worse.

Regret. She regretted everything.

If she were given another chance, she wouldn’t just leave Colton. She would never have married him.

When dehydration finally dragged her under, the basement door creaked open.

Light poured in like fire; it stabbed straight into her eyes. Through the blur, she saw silhouettes of Colton and her brothers standing above her like judges.

“You’re only getting out this time because someone paid the price for you,” he said. “Don’t let it happen again.”

Her head rang.

‘Paid the price?’

She didn’t have the strength to ask what that meant. Darkness closed in again.

When she woke up, her phone was ringing nonstop. White walls. The sharp smell of disinfectant. A hospital room.

She fumbled for the phone and answered, barely conscious.

“Hello, is this Kenzie?” a woman asked professionally. “We’re calling from the funeral home. Ma’am, your mother, Miss Beth, passed away two days ago. We need to confirm cremation arrangements.”

Her fingers went numb. The phone nearly slipped in her grip.

“W-What?” she whispered. “T-That’s impossible. My mom was fine.”

The woman explained, “She suffered a cerebral infarction caused by severe blood loss after donating blood. We’ve been trying to contact you.”

Kenzie’s mind went completely blank.

Beth wasn’t just her foster mother; she was her only mother.

Kenzie dropped the phone, tore the IV from her arm, and ran barefoot out of the room.

She needed answers.

The moment she staggered into the hallway, she slammed straight into Colton.

Kinsey was still cradled in his arms.

That was when something inside Kenzie finally broke.

“What did you do to my mother?!” Her voice ripped through the corridor. “Colton! What the fuck did you do to her?!”

Colton’s face contorted, his eyes openly full of contempt.

“Take a good look at yourself, Kenzie,” he said coldly. “In this condition, how are you any different from a lunatic?”

“You pushed Kinsey down the stairs. She hemorrhaged. The hospital ran out of blood,” he continued flatly. “So your foster mother went and donated hers, trading her blood to clean up your mess.”

“If you hadn’t been so vicious, so hell-bent on hurting Kinsey, would your foster mother have needed to pay the price for you?” he snapped. “Don’t stare at me like that. This is on you. Every bit of it.”

Kenzie’s eyes were bloodshot. She lunged forward without warning and slapped him hard across the face, the sound echoing down the hall.

“I’ve said it already!” she screamed, her voice breaking. “I never framed her. I never touched her. I never hurt that woman! You’ve been fooled by her again and again, and now, you’ve even killed my mom because of it!”

Colton froze for half a second, then his face twisted with irritation. He shoved her away roughly, fury flashing in his eyes.

“What the hell are you losing your mind for?” he barked. “I only had your mother donate some blood to make up for what you did. I even had people escort her back to her hometown and buy her plenty of supplements. Don’t push your luck, woman!”

“Seems to me you’ve completely lost your mind,” he added. “If you keep making a scene like this, there’s no point in keeping this marriage.”

With that warning, he continued in his tracks with Kinsey in his arms.

As they passed Kenzie, Kinsey gave her a provocative smile and silently mouthed, “I told you. You can’t beat me, loser.”

They were gone, and Kenzie stood there, looking exactly like the crazy woman they’d painted her to be while everyone around her watched like it was a show.

She couldn’t help it; she broke down in tears.

Yeah. She really had become a joke.

But she swore, this would be the last time.

From this moment on, she would never let anyone trample her again. Every single person who had hurt her would pay!

That same day, she signed the discharge papers and went straight to the funeral home in her hometown.

Since Beth had only Kenzie left as family, the funeral was kept simple.

Kneeling in front of her mother’s grave, Kenzie pressed her forehead to the cold stone and whispered hoarsely, “Mom… don’t worry. I’ll make them pay.”

She apologized again and again. That same day, she left her hometown and returned to the city, heading straight to the law firm.

The lawyer handed her two documents: the divorce certificate, and her former attorney’s license.

““Congratulations, Ms. Lundberg,” he said. “You’ve regained your freedom. All of Mr. Parkhouse’s assets have already been transferred to your name. You are now the largest shareholder of the McMillan Group. And more than that, I look forward to the return of the former top lawyer.”

Kenzie lowered her gaze to the documents in her hands.

“I will,” she said quietly. “From now on, I’ll protect myself with the law.”

That night, she went back home to retrieve her ID and passport.

When Colton saw her, he called out casually, like nothing had ever happened.

“Kenzie. Mom wants us to bring our son back tomorrow for dinner. Go to the hospital and bring him home.”

Then, impatiently, he added, “I don’t care what kind of fit you’ve been throwing. Tomorrow, you have to come.”

She looked up. It was the same face, but everything felt different now.

From this moment on, she felt no love for him at all. Only hatred remained.

“Alright,” she replied evenly. “Tomorrow, I’ll bring the baby.”

Colton paused, surprised she didn’t argue. Then he said nothing more and left, once again with Kinsey at his side.

Kenzie proceeded to get her ID and passport. Then she packed the divorce certificate, Colton’s copy, the child’s death certificate, and every piece of evidence she’d gathered over the years exposing Kinsey’s crimes. She sealed the envelope and handed it to the courier.

Tomorrow’s family dinner wouldn’t be a reunion. It would be a reckoning.

She would seek justice for herself, for the child she lost, and for her foster mother!

After packing the last of her belongings, Kenzie pulled her suitcase toward the door and deleted her fingerprint from the smart lock.

She was done with this hell completely.

Outside, Clarkson was already waiting by the car, holding the roses she loved most.

“Kenzie…” he said softly. “I’m here to take you home. Let’s go?”

“Alright.”

She got into the car and glanced back as the villa shrank in the distance.

“Colton. Kinsey,” she murmured. “I’ve prepared a gift for you tomorrow. Hope you enjoy it.

“We’ll settle our accounts,” she added. “Slowly.”