"By the way, what made you decide to take me on this trip to Volkten?"

As the mechanic got to work, I turned back to my mom.

In my last life, I had wondered the same thing. My mom rarely went on long trips. The fact that she left my dad behind and took just me along had to mean something.

At my question, my mom’s face fell. She hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line, like there was something she couldn't bring herself to say.

Seeing my mom’s conflicted expression, I sucked in a sharp breath.

Wait… could it be that my current father wasn't my biological father? Could it be that my real father was in Volkten? Was my mom taking me there to reunite with my true family now that I had become an adult?

Years of watching soap operas had clearly messed with my brain—I had already spun a whole dramatic reunion scene in my head.

And if it were true? That would be amazing.

Moms would always know their daughters best. The moment she saw my eyes darting around, she pretty much figured out what I was thinking.

She smacked my arm lightly, rolling her eyes. "Quit imagining things! I never cheated on your dad, alright?"

"The real reason we're going is because your grandfather is gravely ill—he doesn’t have much time left. Your uncle secretly reached out to me and asked me to come home one last time."

"Back when I married your dad, your grandfather was completely against it. I was so angry that I cut ties with my family and I haven’t been back since."

As she spoke, a hint of sadness crept into her expression. She must have regretted cutting ties with her family all those years ago.

Just as I was about to ask more about my grandfather, the mechanic walked over, looking uneasy.

"Your car needs some serious repairs. Good thing you didn’t get on the highway—this could’ve ended really badly."

"The brake pads are completely worn down. You might be fine driving slow, but if you had to brake suddenly at high speed, you’d probably lose control."

"The engine’s in bad shape too. And on top of that, there’s a slight fuel leak."

My mom stiffened. "That’s impossible!" she blurted. "My husband just took this car in for maintenance a few days ago. How could it have all these issues?"

The mechanic gave a tired sigh. "I’m just telling you what I found, ma'am. If you don’t believe me, take it to another shop. But I’m warning you—this car isn’t safe to drive."

My mom still looked like she wanted to argue, but I stopped her. Instead, I turned to the mechanic and said, "Just fix it. As soon as possible, please."

I looked at my mom, my expression complicated. "Mom, do you remember the life insurance Dad took out on us a while back?"

"I thought it was strange at the time—why would he suddenly buy something like that? But now, it all makes sense..."

Before I could finish, my mom cut me off sharply. Her face had gone pale. Without another word, she pulled out her phone and stepped outside the repair shop, dialing my dad.

That was enough for me. As long as she started to doubt him, that was all I needed. But just then, the sound of an engine roared in the distance.

I turned my head and saw a black van speeding toward the repair shop.

Something about it felt eerily familiar.

Then, in an instant, it hit me—this was the same black van that had caused our accident in my past life.

And the driver? It was none other than my dad’s mistress, Eden Watson.

"Mom, watch out!" I shouted, running full speed to reach her.

Yet, it was too late. With a sickening thud, I watched in horror as my mom’s body was flung into the air.

The van never slowed down. It sped off into the distance, vanishing as if nothing had happened.

My mom collapsed in a pool of blood, unconscious.

I sobbed as I dialed emergency services, my hands shaking so badly I could barely press the buttons. At the same time, I reported everything to the police.

The ambulance arrived quickly. Inside, I trembled uncontrollably, clutching my mom’s hand as if I could anchor her to life.

Panic consumed me, but beneath it burned something darker—a seething, unrelenting hatred.

Monsters. My dad and his mistress, Eden, were nothing but monsters.

I thought that by avoiding the highway, my mom and I could finally escape this nightmare. But I never imagined Eden had been tailing us the entire time.

She must have seen us pull into the repair shop. She must have realized we’d discovered the sabotage to our car. That had to be why she resorted to something this desperate—this insane.

I wanted nothing more than to grab a knife and slash those two shameless bastards to pieces. But right now, my priority was my mom.

As I sat there, drowning in fear and rage, my mom’s phone suddenly rang.

I glanced at the caller ID—"Brother."

I froze. Then, with trembling fingers, I answered.

Before the person on the other end could speak, I choked back my sobs and blurted out, “Uncle, my mom was in a car accident! She’s being rushed to the hospital!”

A deep, urgent voice came through. “Elle? What happened? Your mom called me this morning—she said she’d be in Volkten this afternoon. How the hell did she end up in a car accident?”

Tears still streamed down my face as I quickly explained everything.

The moment I finished, my uncle let loose a furious string of curses. “I told your mother long ago that Zane was no good, but she wouldn’t listen!”

“If she hadn’t threatened to take her own life back then, I would’ve had someone break your dad’s legs and dump him in the river!”

"If your dad knew the kind of power the Calder Family holds in Volkten, he wouldn’t have dared pull this stunt—no matter how bold he thinks he is!"

"Elle, don’t worry. I’m bringing my men and we’re getting on the next flight over! That bastard of a father of yours and his homewrecking mistress—I swear, I’ll make them pay!"

When the call ended, I sat there in stunned silence.

From the way my uncle spoke, it was clear—my mother’s family was far from ordinary. I couldn’t believe she had hidden this from me—and from my dad—for all these years. Still, knowing I had my uncle as backup made me feel slightly more at ease.

When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, I anxiously waited outside the emergency room. Less than an hour later, my dad rushed in.

"What happened? How did your mom get into a car accident?" His fake concern made my blood boil. I clenched my fists, barely holding myself together.

"It was your so-called ‘business partner,’ Eden!" I snapped. "She ran my mom over and fled the scene!"

His brows furrowed as he scolded, "Calm down! Stop yelling! Your mom has spoiled you so much you don’t even have basic manners anymore!"

"Eden has no reason to hold a grudge against your mom. Why would she hit her on purpose? There must be some kind of misunderstanding! You better not go around making baseless accusations before we know the truth!" my dad said.

Misunderstanding? He and Eden had an illegitimate child out of their relationship. Yet, he had the audacity to talk about innocence?

I shot him a hateful glare. "Well, I’ve already called the police. It won’t be long before we find out exactly what happened!"

My dad scoffed and stepped aside to make a phone call.

I wanted to expose his hypocrisy right then and there—but what was the point? Even if I tore off his mask now, it wouldn’t change anything. I had no solid proof. Who would believe me?

Unless I could get my hands on undeniable evidence of his collusion with Eden, my words meant nothing.

Earlier, when I spoke to my uncle again, he told me to stay put outside the emergency room. He assured me he would handle my dad and Eden himself.

He also warned me not to completely fall out with my dad before he arrived. If pushed into a corner, my dad might do something desperate—and I was the one in danger.

The longer my mom remained in the emergency room, the more anxious I became. My palms were clammy with cold sweat.

Then, Eden arrived. The moment I saw her, I got instantly burned with rage. I clenched my fists, seething with the urge to tear her apart.

She walked up to me, her face a mask of innocence. "I already heard from your dad about what happened, but I wasn’t the one who hit your mom," she said smoothly.

"I was with my son all day—I didn’t go anywhere."

"My car was stolen last night. I even reported it to the police. I truly sympathize with what happened to your mother and I deeply regret it."

"Rest assured, once they catch the hit-and-run driver, I’ll make sure they pay a heavy price."

My dad quickly chimed in. "Thank you, Ms. Watson, for coming all this way. It was just a misunderstanding—please don’t take offense."

Eden smiled as if this were some casual inconvenience. "It’s no problem. My son happens to be hospitalized here too. I figured it was better to explain in person rather than over the phone."

Feigning surprise, my dad asked, "What happened to your son?"