“I heard they’re about to come into some money. Said they’ll be moving into a big house in the city soon. Did that beautiful sister give them the money?”

  Atticus let out a low, cold chuckle. "They might have money now…" He slipped his hands into his pockets, voice dark and amused. "But that doesn’t mean they’ll live long enough."

  Zane felt a sudden chill snake down his spine. The way Atticus smiled just then…

  James and his family wasted no time spending Clarissa’s money. That very night, they celebrated with an extravagant feast. Naomi went on a shopping spree, buying expensive new clothes.

  A week later, they put a deposit down on a brand-new house in town. Everything was going perfectly. Until they came.

  The door burst open. A group of men stormed inside, knives glinting, guns flashing.

  Before James could even scream, they were already tearing through the bedroom, ripping apart drawers, flipping over the mattress. They knew exactly where to look.

  Naomi lunged for the money, but someone grabbed her by the hair. "No!" she shrieked, struggling. "That’s ours!"

  The man sneered—and without hesitation, drove a knife into her stomach. Her breath hitched. Then, blood. Everywhere.

  The intruders snatched the cash and bolted. Leaving James and Jasper behind—frozen in shock. James stared at his wife’s body, watching the life drain out of her.

  Jasper, too terrified to move, simply clutched his knees in the corner, trembling.

  A week later, the police caught them. The men confessed immediately.

  They were deep in debt, gamblers who had taken out high-interest loans. Some of them were already missing fingers—cut off by their creditors.

  One of them, had been James’s co-worker. A man who had frequently borrowed money from him. When James suddenly quit his job, it raised suspicions.

  Then, word spread—James had $150,000 in cash and was about to buy a house. They saw an opportunity.

  A robbery in the countryside, no surveillance, an easy getaway. Only—it hadn’t gone as planned. Someone had died.

  The police closed the case quickly. The one who killed Naomi was sentenced to death. The rest received long prison sentences.

  And just like that, James lost his money. His wife.

  .....

  Today was Clarissa's first day back at school. Atticus, on the other hand, would be going to his previous school tomorrow.

  At the dinner table, Clementine served food to both Clarissa and Atticus.

  Over time, she wasn’t afraid of Atticus anymore. In fact, seeing how thin he had been when he first arrived, she couldn't help but serve him more than enough food. Atticus, for his part, never wasted a bite. He ate everything neatly and without complaint.

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  After a couple of weeks, Atticus had finally started to gain some weight. His cheeks had a bit of softness now, and his overall appearance was healthier.

  As Clementine placed a generous helping of beef in Atticus's bowl, Clarissa couldn’t resist teasing her. "Mom, if he keeps eating like this, we might need to switch him to a bigger bowl."

  Clementine smiled but didn’t respond. To be honest, other than the rocky start when Atticus first moved in, he’d been nothing but well-behaved. Whether it was school or daily life, there wasn’t much for anyone to worry about. The boy was unusually smart—too smart, really.

  Callum lost to Atticus the first time they played. The game was over in less than five minutes. And now, Callum had begun to mock her skills every chance he got.

  Clarissa was a senior in high school, while Atticus was just in his second year of junior high. Yet, whenever Clarissa came across a tricky homework question, Atticus would breeze through it like it was nothing. No subject seemed too difficult for him.

  Even Callum, who was notoriously picky about everything, was growing more and more fond of Atticus. He’d invite the boy to play chess with him regularly, and the two would engage in discussions about medical knowledge—something Clarissa found endlessly confusing. The only downside was that Atticus didn’t talk much.

  After finishing her milk, Clarissa stood up to leave for school.

  "Clarissa…" Clementine called out as she stood up.

  Clarissa turned, sensing the unease in her mother’s voice. She was still a bit puzzled by why Clementine was so wary of Atticus, but she didn’t question it. Her mother herself probably couldn’t explain it.

  "It’s fine, Mom. Atticus is just a kid, right?"

  Clementine seemed to relax a little, but her voice still held a note of worry. "Be careful on the road, and... don’t get involved with the Lancaster family. I don’t want any trouble, understand?"

  Clarissa was caught off guard by this sudden advice. She blinked, unsure how to respond. Did her mother think she’d be swayed by the Lancaster family’s wealth and abandon her again?

  It was true. If it had been the old Clarissa, she might’ve been tempted. But now, ......

  "I understand, Mom," she said, smiling reassuringly. "We’ll live an ordinary life, just like we planned. I won’t get caught up with anyone else. Don’t worry."

  As Clarissa’s footsteps faded, Clementine turned to see Atticus sitting there, still slowly finishing his meal.

  There was something almost regal about the way he ate. His manners were impeccable, as if he had always been accustomed to a life of nobility. It was hard to reconcile that image with the boy who had once been forced to survive on scraps. That air of composure seemed to be in his very bones.

  Clementine hesitated for a moment, then approached him. "Atticus," she said softly, "Let me serve you another bowl."

  Atticus paused, then gave her a small, polite smile. "Thank you, Auntie."

  Maybe she had been too sensitive after all. Clarissa was right—Atticus really was just a child.

  School days went on without much change. The only real drama was that Lyra and Dorian were now officially engaged.

  Without Clarissa around to complicate things, their relationship had progressed far more smoothly than anyone had anticipated. They were inseparable, completely in love, and it looked like they had finally found happiness together.

  When Clarissa heard the news, she just smiled faintly. She felt a sense of relief, actually. "It’s better this way," she thought to herself.

  No more mess. No more complications. But in the midst of all this calm, she overheard a few whispers one day:

  "Someone’s probably furious that Dorian’s going to get engaged to Lyra."

  "Yeah. She won’t be a Lancaster lady, and now her husband’s also been stolen by someone else."

  "She had it coming, though. She was so arrogant before—this is karma."

  "She looked down on all of us. Now it’s our turn."

  Clarissa had just walked into the cafeteria when she heard a group of girls gossiping. At first, they didn’t notice her presence, but soon, two of them looked up and saw her standing there. They quickly looked away, their faces filled with embarrassment.

  But June, the leader of the group, couldn’t help but sneer. "What are you scared of?" she scoffed. "We’re just speaking the truth."

  She turned her attention to Clarissa, her eyes flashing with a sense of superiority. "Clarissa, Dorian has decided to get engaged to Lyra. You can forget about him now."

  Clarissa didn’t even spare her a glance. She calmly picked up her plate, walked past the group, and left without acknowledging June at all. To her, June was no more than air.

  June’s face turned red with fury as she watched Clarissa walk away. Her eyes burned with an unwillingness to accept being ignored. Son of bitch.