can't believe you guys set up a secret birthday party for me." I'm still in shock but why am I surprised? I already suspected that everyone is planning something behind me but I didn't think they would go to the extent of throwing a big party for me.

"This is so...I don't know what to say, thank you so much." Gosh, I'm getting emotional again.

"Oh common Sasha, it's not a big deal." Madam Emily says as she embraced me tenderly.

And like that, I hugged everyone one after the other. My favorite song starts playing and I hum along while taking in everything, some guests are dancing, some are talking in groups and some are sitting at their table eating and sipping their drinks quietly.

"Dance with me." A voice whispers in my ear out of nowhere and I jump in surprise. I turn around to see Jace smiling at me. "Did I startle you? I'm sorry."

"No, I'm fine."

"This is your favorite song, dance with me please and after that I will introduce you to some of my business partners and accomplices." He explains.

I nod and let him lead me to the dance floor. All of a sudden, I feel the hair at the back of my neck stand and I have this odd feeling that something bad is about to happen.

"What is it? You look like you've seen a ghost." Jace asks in concern.

I shake my head and fake a smile. "I'm fine, it's probably nothing."

"Are you..." A loud gunshot cuts Jace off.

The music stops instantly and everyone burst out screaming, blood drains from my face and I pale when I see Cassie standing in the middle of the room with a gun. In a blink of an eye, she grabs Madam Emily, brings out a handcuff, and handcuffed their hands together. Madam Emily's right hand is now handcuffed to Cassie's left hand. I spot some security men trying to sneak on her but what she brings out next has everyone taking more steps back and trembling in fear. She has a grenade!

"Silence! I don't want to hear a word from anyone and stay where you are, I don't want to see any movements." Everywhere became as silent as a graveyard as everyone froze on their spots.

"Fucking hell," Jace whispers in shock as he pushes me behind him.

Cassie spots us within seconds because we are standing directly in front of her with no one in between us.

"Wow, who do we have here?" She drawls and points her gun at Jace. "Get out of the way lover boy, it's that person at your back I wanna aim at."

"What are you doing Cassie? Let my mom go."

"If you don't move out of the way now, I won't hesitate to blow off your mom's head." She growls harshly and I'm surprised this is the same Cassie I knew before.

Madam Emily's eyes widen in fear as she trembles beside Cassie.

"What is this Cassie?" Sir Marcus' voice booms as he tries to take a step towards her but Ashley pulls him back with tears in her eyes.

How did this happy atmosphere turn to this within minutes? How did this happen? I ask myself while my mouth hangs open in shock.

"This is all your fault, Sasha, you took Jace away from me." She screams. "And as if that is not enough you took my father also." All I can do is to watch speechless as she rambles on, this is what envy does to a human. It consumes them slowly and takes control over them thereby making them misbehave. "Because of you my dad left me, you took everything away from me."

"Cassie, my jewel. Listen to me..."

"Shut up dad. Didn't I beg you not to leave? Didn't I?" Tears are streaming down her face and the hand holding the gun is trembling.

"Because of you Sasha, this family will suffer." She turns to her left side and pulls her trigger at the security man who is trying to take advantage of her emotional state.

A scream tore out of everyone as the security man she shot fell with a thud.

"Pick up his gun, Sasha." She motions to me with her gun.

Jace tightens his grip around me silently begging me with his eyes to stay.

"Or I will kill her." She points her gun at Madam Emily's head. "Pick up the gun."

Before I know it, I'm walking to the dead body, I pick up the gun with shaking hands.

"Shoot him." My heart skips a beat and I was rooted to my spot as she points at dad.

"What?"

"Shoot him now or I will throw this and trust me when I say many people will die."

"Miss Cassie Kimberly, this building has been surrounded, it's better if you..."

She burst into sinister laughter and turns to face me with a glare. "Can you see what you've done to me?"

"Cassie, stop blaming everyone for your mistakes," Jace tells her.

She ignores him. "Try shooting at me and everyone here will die...including her." She points as Jace's mom and everywhere became extremely silent. "At the count of five, if you don't shoot that man, I will throw my grenade."

"Just do it Sasha." My dad says in defeat. "Let's give her whatever she wants to save these people."

I sob harder as I point the gun at him.

"1..."

I can't do this! I can't kill my father whom I just met.

"2..."

I try to steady my trembling hands.

"3..."

"No!" I hear Jace shout.

I turn to see why he's screaming in panic, then I see Madam Emily struggling to get the grenade from Cassie.

"Get back everyone!" Her shout rings out.

"Mom!" Ashley screams and tries to run to her but thankfully, Sir Marcus is holding her back with his arms around her waist.

Then a gunshot rings out and I see both Cassie and Madam Emily fall, everyone's eyes are glued on the grenade that is rolling down on the floor.

"Noo!" I scream with all my might when I see Jace running towards the grenade.

And before it can explode, Jace picked it up. There was a tense silence and my brain went into saturation for about ten seconds.

Nothing happened! Nothing fucking happened! I try to run to him but he held out his hand as a motion for me to stop.

"This is not a grenade, it's fake." Jace announces to the relief of everyone.

I rush to him and slapped him on the cheeks, I slapped him again before pulling him into a warm embrace. "You're so stupid Jace, what if it really was a grenade?"

"But it isn't." He pulls me back and wipes my tears.

The police rush to Cassie and Madam Emily, my racing heart slows a little when I see that it was Cassie they shot. They unlock the handcuff around Madam Emily's hand and a stretcher was brought in by the paramedics who took Cassie's bleeding body and the dead security man away.

Blinding lights and loud sound from different siren filled everywhere as I stand rooted to my spot watching Cassie being rushed into an ambulance by the paramedics. I jump slightly when I feel a warm arm around my waist but the familiar cologne of Jace has me relaxing into his hug.

"I just finished speaking with the cops, we need to leave." He whispers into my ear and I give a nod of understanding.

With Jace trailing behind me wordlessly, I made my way outside. Sir Marcus and Madam Emily are both in their car already while Ashley is at the back seat sobbing silently with Claire muttering soothing words to her. My dad is also in his car staring blankly at nothing as he grips the steering wheel tight, my heart broke at the sight and I broke down into tears.

Jace pulls me close and grabs my chin in his hand. "Shhh...don't cry babe. It's all over now."

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Kisses 😘