They weren't standing that far apart. The moment he spaced out, he pulled her straight into his arms and pressed his lips to hers.

"Theo-"

Her shocked gasp got swallowed up in the kiss.

Theodore placed one hand under her, laying her gently on the sofa, his other hand gripping her waist firmly to keep her still.

Victoria, already teetering on the edge, suddenly remembered how close Theodore and Isabella had become. That thought felt like a thorn under her skin.

Her lashes lowered slightly, dulling the light in her eyes. A soft word slipped out from her lips-just one word, but it stopped him cold.

"Disgusting."

Reality snapped back like a slap. Theodore quickly let go. He looked down at her pale face and let out a cold, bitter laugh.

"Did you feel disgusting with Elijah too?" he scoffed. "Or is it just with me?"

Victoria's breath caught in her throat at the jab. Her expression dimmed even more. She looked up and stared at him without saying a word.

Theodore raised an eyebrow and stepped back, face turning distant and cold.

"Gina's funeral is tomorrow morning at nine. Don't forget." That was all she said before turning and walking away.

Just like that, the whole incident passed without much of a ripple.

Rain drizzled nonstop. Gina's funeral had only a handful of close friends and family. Everyone stood quietly under umbrellas.

Hannah was sobbing uncontrollably in William's arms.

Victoria and Theodore stood off in a quiet corner. As she looked at the people who once felt like home, at these so-called parents and relatives, all she saw now were strangers.

Staring at the photo on the gravestone, memories surged-her painstaking effort to piece together that crushed skull. Her brows tightened.

Five years ago, she was the princess of the Ellis family, adored by all. Then they found their real daughter, Gina, and just like that, everything changed.

Too many things happened since. Gina wasn't the sweet innocent girl she pretended to be. She killed Victoria's cat, twisted the truth, made herself the victim.

That was all it took for William and Hannah to believe that Victoria had faked it all just to get rid of Gina-that she was jealous and cruel.

And things like that happened over and over. Within a year, Victoria was thrown out, ties completely severed.

"Aren't you going to go comfort your parents?"

The low voice behind her pulled her thoughts back.

Victoria's lips pressed into a thin line. She looked at Hannah, barely staying upright from grief. A flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes. She took one step forward... then stopped. In the end, she didn't move closer.

Just as Hannah was about to faint from all the crying, her phone buzzed again and again.

She unlocked it-an unfamiliar email. Inside was a video.

She and William exchanged a glance, then tapped play.

The clip showed Gina arguing with a skinny woman. From Gina's face, she was clearly upset.

Hannah's voice was hoarse, her hands trembling, "This... this was before Gina went missing... Who's that woman?"

William's brows drew together, a terrible feeling creeping in. That figure... looked too much like Victoria.

But he didn't say it.

Not until the woman turned-and her face became clear on the screen.

The shock hit hard. Hannah's phone slipped from her hand and hit the ground with a loud thud.

It was Victoria.

"She killed Gina..." Hannah mumbled, face pale as a ghost, struggling to believe what she just saw. She turned her head and saw Victoria standing a short distance away with an umbrella. Something inside her snapped. Like a tight string suddenly breaking. She lost it-rushed over and slammed into her, both hands wrapped around Victoria's neck.

"You took my daughter! You killed my Gina!"

The chaos drew every pair of eyes their way.

Victoria gasped for air. Hannah's nails dug deep into her skin, leaving harsh indents, as if she really meant to strangle her.

Her arm dropped limply, the umbrella clattered onto the ground.

Theodore's eyes turned cold in an instant. He yanked Hannah's hands off Victoria with force and shielded her with his body. The moment he caught sight of the fresh red marks down her pale neck, his expression darkened.

"Why didn't you dodge?"

His tone was harsh. He turned to her-she just stood there, stunned out of her mind, not reacting at all.

Hannah was still spiraling, her bloodshot eyes locked onto Victoria. "We took care of you for over twenty years! This is how you pay us back?!"

She lunged at her again-never once giving Victoria a chance to explain.

In the scuffle, Hannah yanked the necklace off Victoria's neck and threw it to the ground.

"Elijah!"

The name slipped from her lips before she could stop it. Ignoring the rain and the crowd's stares, she darted over and scooped the necklace into her hands, cradling it close like it was the most precious thing in the world.

Her fragile expression made something in Theodore's chest twist unpleasantly. He clenched his jaw and walked over quietly, holding the umbrella over her head.

"Hannah, calm down!"

William tried to soothe her, casting Victoria a conflicted look. He didn't say a word, but his eyes-those eyes were full of disappointment.

Victoria had no idea what was going on. All she felt was a sharp, aching hollowness in her chest, like someone had carved it open and just left it bleeding. Her knees hit the ground, weak and unsteady.

She did nothing wrong. She hadn't hurt anyone. After all these years-her supposed parents didn't believe in her either?

"Hannah!"

Gasps rippled through the crowd as Hannah suddenly collapsed.

The funeral turned into a mess after that, ending earlier than planned.

Just beneath the trees at the edge of the cemetery, a slim figure disappeared into the rain. Isabella closed the car door with a smirk after watching the show.

But the memory of Theodore shielding Victoria made her grip her phone so tight her knuckles went white. Then she shoved it at the man next to her.

"Get someone dependable. Wipe out any trace of this."

Aaron Mills didn't know why she was so involved in the Ellis family's mess, but he backed her without question. "Don't worry. I've got it."

Isabella turned her head, watching through the window as Theodore held the umbrella over Victoria.

She thought the what Victoria had suffered-far from enough. Not a single look from Theodore should land on anyone else.

Back at the villa, Isabella filled the bathtub with cold water, shed her clothes, and slowly sank into it.

...

In the heavy downpour, Victoria tucked the necklace away, her eyes suddenly sharp with resolve. She wasn't going to take the blame for something she didn't do. She needed to go back and get real answers from the Ellis family.

As she stood, her legs gave out for a second, and she stumbled. A hand caught her wrist just in time-Theodore's.

Her skin was ice cold.

He'd seen that look in her earlier-blank, hollow. He figured she must've been thinking of Elijah. A sour feeling bubbled up in him, annoyance-but also, strangely, something like heartbreak.

Victoria pulled her arm back from Theodore's grasp, snapping out of her daze.

"Thanks," she murmured, her voice low, eyes dropping to conceal the storm swirling inside.

With everything in chaos, she had no choice but to head home.

Theodore got in the car too. Before Victoria could say a word, he calmly stated, "I'll take you."

That was a first. He was always buried in work, and not once had he offered to drive her anywhere. Victoria turned to look at his profile, dazed for a moment.

Rain still poured outside. The pounding against the car windows was nonstop, and a chilly draft crept in through a crack, making Victoria shiver.

Moments later, she saw Theodore reach out, turning up the heater.

Her gaze flickered. Was he... actually worried about her?

But the thought was gone as soon as it came.

She couldn't forget how recently he'd been at the hospital, holding Isabella gently, comforting her, saying the divorce had gone through and promising to make things right.

Victoria's lips curled into a bitter smile as she turned to stare out the window.

Everything outside was a blur behind the sheets of rain-directionless, just like her-without a home to return to.

The car came to a stop in front of the Ellis family house.

As soon as she got out, Theodore's phone rang.

On the other end, Isabella's voice was feeble, barely hanging on. It sounded like she'd fall apart any second.

"You suddenly have a fever?" Theodore asked.

Her voice trembled as she spoke, face pale as paper from the chill. "Maybe I caught a cold... I'm not sure. Don't worry about me. Go take care of Victoria."

Then, deliberately, she knocked over a glass on the table, letting it crash to the floor. She screamed into the phone.

"Ahh!"

"Isabella?" Theodore frowned sharply, but the call had already ended.

His lips pressed into a tight line. Without another thought, he rushed back toward the car.

As if just remembering something, he paused and looked back at Victoria, his expression unreadable. "Something came up. I gotta go."

Victoria gave a small nod and stepped back.

She didn't respond-because deep down, she knew the truth.

To Theodore, it was only ever Isabella who truly mattered.

She turned and walked into the villa. Behind her, the sound of the engine roared to life and faded into the distance, taking her heart down with it.

His eyes caught the lone figure in the rearview mirror-umbrella in hand, unmoving. A storm of conflicted thoughts swirled behind his still expression, but he remained frozen, as if torn between staying and leaving.

He had waited.

Waited for Victoria to stop him. To say something.

But she didn't. Not a word. She wanted him gone-was that it?

Inside the house, it was dead silent. You could hear a pin drop.

Victoria let her eyes skim the living room, then froze at the faint noise upstairs. She inhaled deeply and slowly climbed the steps.

At the master bedroom door-slightly ajar-a hoarse female voice came through.

"You brought her into our home, and look what happened! We never should've adopted her. She murdered my daughter-Gina was just a kid! Call the cops! She has to pay. I won't stop until there's justice. She doesn't deserve to walk free!"

Hannah's cries turned to rage, her voice rising with every word. The hatred was so raw you could feel it.

She had once loved Victoria like her own daughter. Never would she have imagined things would come to this.

And William just stood there with a face full of sorrow, his hand gently rubbing Hannah's back.

He let out a long breath, voice heavy with disappointment and pain.

"How... how could Victoria turn out like this?"

Victoria's knees almost gave out as she leaned weakly against the railing, all the color drained from her face.

Even her dad believed it now?

What really crushed her wasn't the made-up accusation-it was the heartbreak of watching the people she once called family refuse to believe her at all.

How was she supposed to stay strong with that?

That's when William stepped outside. The second he saw her, he froze with surprise.

"You... what are you doing here?"

This had been her home, too.

But now, coming back here felt like trespassing.

Victoria opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Inside, Hannah spotted her and stumbled out of the house, charging straight at her.

"You murderer! I'm going to kill you!"

Her hair was a mess, eyes wild with rage and heavy with tears that hadn't dried. She looked terrifying.

Victoria was caught off guard and instinctively backed up several steps-almost falling down the stairs.

The look in Hannah's bloodshot eyes was like poison.

"Dad, Mom... you really don't believe me?"

It felt like someone stabbed Victoria in the chest-deep and merciless.

William held Hannah back, shooting Victoria a complicated look.

"Just go... don't come back."

That said everything.

They didn't believe her.

To them, she was already a killer.

In that moment, the wall she'd painstakingly built around herself came crashing down.

"You were the one who took me in, who said I was family. You know who I am! And now you won't even give me the chance to defend myself?"

She'd been carrying so much these past few days, the pressure in her chest was suffocating, like something heavy and wet clogging her lungs.

"Victoria, I..."

William's face twisted with guilt. He'd always treated her like his own.

But with everything that had happened, with what looked like solid evidence, how could he ignore his real daughter's death just for her sake?

His thoughts were a mess of conflict, and before anyone could react, Hannah broke free from his arms and ran barefoot up the stairs toward the rooftop.

"Hannah!"

Both of them took off after her.

As they reached the rooftop, Victoria saw Hannah already climbing over the protective railing. Her dress flapped wildly in the wind, and she swayed dangerously with every gust, like death could whisk her away at any second.

They were on the fourth floor-if she jumped, there'd be no coming back.

"Mom!"

"Hannah!"

Their voices trembled with fear, but neither dared rush forward in case it spooked her more.

Rain soaked them to the bones. The wind bit through their wet clothes, making them shiver.

Victoria blinked through the rain. "Mom, please... just calm down. Can we talk? Please?"

But Hannah didn't respond to her-her eyes locked on William.

"We only had Gina. Just one daughter. If you can't get justice for her, William, then what's the point? I'll go be with her instead!"

"My poor baby. She must be so cold and lonely down there. I've got no reason to stay here anymore-I might as well keep her company!"

William trembled, trying to reach her. "Stop saying that! Hannah, I'm here-we'll go through this together. Just come back down, please!"

Watching this unfold, Victoria's heart hurt so badly, it physically ached.

But who caused all this anyway?

She clenched her fists tight, nails digging into her palms.

"Mom!"

The word burst out of her, and suddenly she dropped to her knees on the soaked rooftop with a hard thud.

Victoria had stopped caring about anything else.

She was a daughter of the Ellis family. Of course she cared about them, cared about her parents.

There was no way she could just watch Hannah die right in front of her.

"Mom, I'm begging you, please come down. I swear, I'll get to the bottom of this and give you the truth you deserve, okay?"

At her words, Hannah let out a bitter laugh and finally climbed back over the railing.

"The truth? The truth is that a heartless thing like you killed my daughter. The evidence is all right there-what more is there to say?"

Before Victoria could react, Hannah slapped her hard across the face.

The crack of the slap was drowned by the pounding rain.

Hannah didn't hold back-Victoria's head snapped to the side, nearly knocking her over.

Rain streamed down her face, salty against her lips.

She wiped her cheek but stayed kneeling firmly on the ground.

She didn't argue back. She was too scared a single word would push Hannah over the edge.

A flash of lightning split the sky, and thunder rolled through the distance.

Meanwhile-

Theodore pulled up outside Isabella's apartment.

The second he walked through the door, he saw her passed out on the living room floor.

His heart skipped a beat. He rushed forward and scooped her into his arms.

"Isabella? Isabella?"

Her whole body was cold, completely unconscious. Her ankle was bleeding from a cut, probably glass.

Theodore didn't waste a second. He carried her straight to the hospital.

It wasn't until late into the night that she finally woke up.

He stood by the window, watching sheets of rain pour down and lightning flicker across the sky. His hand tightened around the phone in his pocket.

He couldn't help but hesitate-

Was Victoria okay right now?

A weak voice pulled him back.

"Theodore."

She still had an IV in her hand. He snapped out of it and quickly walked over to help her sit up.

"You're not well, lie down. Don't move around."

"Thanks for coming... didn't think you would. Did I mess up any of your plans?"

He gently tucked the blanket around her. "No. Your health matters most."

As he turned to grab a glass of water, a faint smile played on Isabella's lips.

She knew it-Theodore would never just leave her.

As for Victoria... without Theodore to shield her, once she got back to the Ellis family, Hannah would tear her apart.

That was the price she had to pay for trying to steal Theodore.

Later that night, the rain started to ease.

A car stopped at the entrance of the cemetery.

Hannah yanked a soaked-to-the-bone Victoria out of the car.

She stormed ahead, muttering curses under her breath.

The old man who looked after the cemetery stumbled out, startled by the sudden appearance of three people in the dead of night.

"You folks-who are you? What are you doing here this late?"

He'd never seen anyone visit at this hour. Totally freaked him out.

William walked up behind them, slipping the old man a wad of cash. "Family matter, hope you understand."

Then he quickly caught up to the others.

Hannah forced Victoria down in front of Gina's tombstone.

"You like kneeling so much? Then stay right here and think really hard about what you've done!"

"Let's... let's not go overboard, Hannah," William tried to calm her. "It's late, and she's drenched. Victoria's body might not be able to take it."William hesitated, stepping forward to grab Hannah's arm, trying to reason with her.

"The dead can't come back, Hannah. No matter what we do to Victoria, Gina is gone-nothing changes that."

Cold air lingered throughout the graveyard, the chill slipping down their necks with every gust of wind, raising goosebumps. William even felt like something-or someone-was watching them from the dark.

But Hannah wasn't done.

She yanked her arm out of his grip, her glare sharp as glass. "What, you're feeling sorry for her now? You feel sorry for this murderer? Don't forget, that girl's a stray, while the one under this tombstone is your real daughter!"

Victoria stayed silent. Her eyes, blank but focused, stared straight at Gina's photo on the gravestone. All she could think about was that day at the forensics lab-the body on the table.

Why did Gina end up like that?

And how did it somehow lead back to her?

Hannah looked down and saw Victoria's calm, almost detached expression, her gaze locked on that smiling photo of Gina. The sight made something in her snap.

She lunged forward, hitting and kicking Victoria like she'd completely lost control.

"Don't you feel the slightest bit of guilt? You cold-hearted thing! Why didn't I see through you sooner?!"

Her voice cracked into a wail. The next moment, she stiffened, eyes rolling back. Before she could hit the ground, William caught her just in time.

"Hannah! Hannah!"

Panic-stricken, he supported her as they hurried down the steps out of the cemetery. At the bottom, he turned around and glanced back at Victoria, who was still on her knees.

There was something resigned in his eyes.

Under the red glow of the taillights, the car disappeared into the night, leaving Victoria alone in the dark.

Kneeling on the freezing cement, her mind remained strangely sharp. The numbness in her legs only made the moment more painfully real.

She slowly stood, brushing off the fallen leaves from Gina's gravestone.

So this is what it feels like... being cast aside by the whole world.

She tried to imagine Gina's thoughts in those final moments.

What was going through her head?

Maybe Gina did deserve to die... but not like that. Not so quietly, not without a single answer.

Victoria stayed at the cemetery three whole days-not out of guilt, but to try to make sense of everything.

Gina's death hit the Ellis family hard. For Victoria, it flipped her entire world upside down.

Gina's photo beamed with a bright, sunshine-filled smile. But to Victoria, it looked twisted. Fake.

She lifted her head slowly, holding her hand up to the sun filtering between her fingers. The light was so harsh, it made her eyes sting.

She'd lost track of how long she'd been out there-no calls, no word from the Ellis family... not even Theodore.

As she tried to stand, her vision blurred. Her body gave out, and she collapsed to the cold ground.

Just before losing consciousness, she thought she saw a blurry figure rushing toward her-a shadow in black.

"Elijah..."

Her hand weakly clutched at the man's jacket before going limp.

Henry furrowed his brow and checked her breathing quickly before exhaling in relief.

"Miss? Hey, can you hear me?"

He gently lifted her into his arms and placed her in the ambulance. Just as he turned to head back to the cemetery, he realized she was clutching his jacket with a surprisingly strong grip.

Henry sighed, looking down at her pale, worn-out face.

No choice now.

With one big step, he got into the ambulance.