"Can't fall asleep?" Sean asked.

Catherine sat up in the bed and squinted into the dark room. She'd been tossing and turning for hours, but she thought she was alone.

​​

"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," he said.

"It's fine," she replied, settling back into the bed.

She heard him cross the room and felt him sit down at the edge of the bed.

"What's keeping you awake?" he asked, his voice gentle.

"I just don't know why people become so greedy," she sighed. "It makes them so cruel."

He sighed, "They're empty inside. They want to fill the huge hole, so they grab at anything—money, status, power, jewels—but it all just makes them emptier."

"But how can they be so empty when they have other things in their lives?" she asked. "They give up family love, friendship, their self-respect—I don't understand it."

"Human nature is a complicated thing," he murmured.

"It's true," she said. "A terrible, complicated thing."

"Don't overthink it," Sean said. "People usually have a way of getting what they deserve in the end."

In her sleepy state, she couldn't tell if he was making a threat or not.

"Go to sleep," he whispered. "It's late, and it's not worth losing sleep over anyone."

As tired as she was, she closed her eyes and slipped away into a deep, dreamless sleep.

***

Sean watched Catherine by the thin slants of moonlight that slipped through the gap in the curtains. As she slipped deeper and deeper into sleep, the wrinkles in her brow smoothed, and she sighed. She looked defenseless when she slept—innocent. But if Geoffrey's reports were to be believed, she wasn't innocent at all.

He smiled as he recalled the story Geoffrey told of their morning. It was hard to imagine Catherine threatening the man as calmly and cooly as Geoffrey had described, and he wished he'd been there to see it. She was far more courageous than he'd thought.

"I'll help you take back what's yours, honey" he whispered. "But you have to let me protect you from danger—you have to trust me."

She sighed in her sleep, and he slid under the covers, and he pulled her into his arms.

***

When Catherine woke in the morning, she was alone, but Sean's pillow was wrinkled, and his scent clung to the sheets. She stretched and checked her phone—relieved to see that Maria had agreed to her plan. As she dressed, she ran through her plan over and over again. With each minute, her heart raced faster, and her hands seemed to tremble. Impatient, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and ran down the stairs. Geoffrey waited for her by the front door, a severe expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" she asked Geoffrey.

"Nothing," the bodyguard answered.

"Did Sean blame you for yesterday?" she asked. "Because if he did, that's not fair."

"I said nothing was wrong," Geoffrey snapped.

"But you look so serious," Catherine objected.

"Your safety is a serious issue," Geoffrey replied.

Catherine sighed, "Fine, let's leave then. I want to go to my uncle's place."

"That's what I was afraid of," Geoffrey muttered.

"What was that?" Catherine asked.

"Nothing, nothing," Geoffrey said.

Catherine tapped anxiously at her phone on the way to the mansion, confirming with Maria that she was on her way. Geoffrey pulled up to the mansion, and Catherine saw a dented, rusted car parked outside the gate. Fresh guilt seared through her when she saw Maria and Samuel sitting inside. She rolled down her window and waved at the battered car.

"I'm so glad you guys came," she called.

"Of course," Maria said. "Though I have to admit, I'm a bit confused. What exactly are we doing here?"

"Something we should have done a long time ago," she replied.

"What do you mean?" Maria asked.

"I mean, we're taking our home back," she said. "It's been a long time since we told those vultures to get out. This is our family home—and they have no right to live in it."

"I wish it were that easy, dear, but it's not ours anymore," Maria said. "The house is Lawson's now."

"No," Catherine said. "It's not. Follow me."

The gates slid open, and Geoffrey guided the town car up to the front door. Maria and Samuel followed behind in their battered wreck—the engine rattling and groaning so loudly and sounded as if the entire car would fall to pieces.

Melanie met them at the door with a strained expression on her face. Her mouth opened and closed, but she seemed unable to find the right words.

"Hello, auntie," Catherine said. "Where's Uncle Lawson? I want to talk to him."

"Um, he's not here," her aunt said, looking past her to Susan and Samuel. "He's at work right now."

"That's too bad," Catherine said. "I was hoping to catch him here."

"Well, why don't you come back another time," her aunt suggested, moving to close the door. "And maybe next time, you could give me a call in advance."

Catherine put her foot in the doorframe, "No, I have to talk to him right now. It's important."

"Well, you can find him at his office," her aunt said.

"Auntie, he can find us here," Catherinel said. "Call him and tell him we're waiting for him."

"Listen, I don't know what's gotten into you," her aunt snapped. "First, you bring these two to my home, and now you want to give me orders?"

"It's not your home," Catherine said. "It's theirs and mine. And I can give anyone I like orders in my own home."

She pushed the door aside and entered. Maria and Samuel followed hesitantly behind. She stopped impatiently and gestured for them to go into the living room. They walked slowly, casting worried glances at Melanie as they went.

"What is wrong with you," Melanie hissed. "Have you suffered some sort of attack? Have you forgotten that you hate them—they lied to your father and tried to take your inheritance?"

"What inheritance?" Catherine asked. "The one you took for your own instead?" She pointed at the diamond necklace her aunt wore around her thin neck, "The one you spent on tasteless jewelry and hideous furniture? Call my uncle and tell him to get here as quickly as possible."

She left her aunt in the hallway and went to join Maria and Samuel in the living room. The two stood awkwardly behind one of the sofas as if they were afraid to sit down. Catherinel gestured for them to sit before sinking onto the sofa opposite them. She kept her phone balanced on her knee, checking the time.

"What's the matter?" Maria asked.

"I'm waiting for someone," she replied. "And he's late."

Moments later, her aunt came into the room, and her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Your uncle is on his way, but he wanted me to ask if this has anything to do with Sean, somehow," Melanie said.

"No, of course not," Catherine replied.

"So Sean hasn't changed his mind about the agreement?" Melanie asked.

"Not that I know of," Catherine said, rolling her eyes.

"He must not like you very much, Cathy," her aunt said. "I know all of Lawson's business."

"Don't worry about whether my husband likes me or not, auntie," Catherine said.

"Oh, but I do," Melanie said. "The success of the company depends on how much he likes you and how much you're worth to him."

Catherine bit her tongue so hard she tasted blood. Though she'd known all along that her family had sold her, it was another thing to hear them talk so openly about it. She looked at Maria and saw that her stepmother's face was frozen in a horrified expression.

"Where's Madison?" Catherine asked.

"She's still sleeping," her aunt said.

"Well, wake her up," Catherine said. "I'm sure she'll want to be around for this."

Melanie disappeared, and Maria shifted uncomfortably on the sofa.

"I think Samuel and I should leave, Cathy," Maria said.

"Not yet," she replied. "We're just waiting on Clark Foster."

"Well, he's usually a little late," Maria said.

"I know," Catherine replied. "But I'm counting on him to make it on time."

The doorbell rang, and Catherine rushed to answer it herself. She tugged the heavy doors open and smiled with relief when she was Clark Foster's round face.

"Please, come in," she said.

She led the way to the living room just as her aunt descended the stairs. Melanie froze mid-step and stared in confusion at the two of them.

"What's he doing here?" she asked.

"He's here to help clarify some legal issues," Catherine replied.

"Come on, Cathy," Melanie said. "Can't we have a family discussion? Why do we need to involve lawyers in anything? I'm sure we can just talk it out."

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Dearest Lovies,

My apology for updating late today, and to compensate for it, I added extra chapters. Keep on voting and commenting.

Stay safe and have a great day ahead!

Anna Shannel Lin