It had been a while since Brother Alistair came back... but, as always, he barely acknowledged me.
Not that he ever did before. But what really bothered me and burned under my skin was how he went all the way to that bitch’s school, even her dorm just to see her.
Yet when I tried to talk to him? He ignored me like I didn’t even matter to him!
That’s how he’d always been... so I didn’t even care.
But when I saw his gentle expression and softness toward her, it broke me.
What did Seraphina have that I didn’t?
I was more obedient than Sera. I was talented, admired by people who would kill to have what I had in the palm of my hand. And still, they chose her.
Sooner or later, they’d all see her true face.
But for now... I had nothing. There was no dirt or proof.
And that’s what I hated most, how clean she looked while hiding everything rotten inside.
I had been watching her for a while now.
Ever since Brother Alistair started showing interest in her, I have made sure to keep an eye on her at all times. At the dorms, I had girls under my thumb who were eager to please me and do stupid things, who kept me updated on their every move. Her routine, her classes, who she spoke to, what time she ate, even when she smiled.
But everything was always... Maddeningly perfect.
She did everything by the book. Studied, stayed polite. Kept her head down as if like she had no flaws.
Today, I finally caught a crack in her perfect act.
She’d gone out in the evening and never come back.
She had passed the dorm curfew, and she was still missing.
What was perfect for me was... she had gone out without permission or leaving any message for the teachers.
It was exactly the kind of slip I’d been waiting for.
So, I did what I’m best at. I called those brainless girls and stirred their empty little heads. Told them to report her absence to the dorm teacher, tell them that she was missing out of the blue, and act concerned. Pretend to care and make it seem like they were the good ones.
Soon enough, the teacher would have no choice but to call home. And when it’s revealed that no one knows where Seraphina is, that she’s out, God knows where she was at this hour...
Her flawless little reputation would finally be ruined.
And once it did... It would be my time to laugh.
Because this time, I’d show my brothers that their so-called sister was not that perfect, and she was nowhere near my elegance.
Soon enough, the teacher made the call to my mother’s phone, just as I’d planned. But I was faster and answered it before she could even hear it ring.
I handled the conversation perfectly, feigning concern, promising to pass on the message to my parents. Then, without wasting a second, I slipped out of the room and rushed toward my brothers’ rooms.
But... they weren’t there.
Their rooms were empty.
"Where did they go?" I muttered under my breath, irritation surged up within me with a wild flutter of excitement in my chest.
I just needed to find them.
If I told them while she was still missing, it would be perfect. They’d finally see her for what she was.
And I’d be the one who showed them.
A slow, wicked smile crept across my lips as my eyes landed on the clock.
It was already past 1 a.m.
She was still missing. And the longer she stayed gone, the more damage it would do. The more questions it would raise.
Exactly what I wanted.
But then... without warning, a thought slipped into my mind. Orıginal content can be found at novel•fire.net
Where could she have gone at this hour?
What if something had happened to her?
For a split second, a strange, unfamiliar heaviness pulled at my chest.
Was she in real trouble?
Still... even if she was in danger, even if the world gobbled her up tonight—
It wouldn’t matter. If anything, it would make things easier for me.
Because I could step in at just the right moment and pretend to be the concerned sister, who noticed her absence and cared enough to alert everyone and get help.
I’d be praised. People would pity me and admire me.
And she’d owe me a debt which I’d make sure she would never be able to repay.
I kept searching for my brothers, growing more restless with each passing minute, until I finally decided to check outside the house. And I was right.
There they were... both of them, walking together in the garden, having a conversation.
Had they lost their minds? Taking a casual stroll in the middle of the night?
Without wasting a second, I rushed toward the front door, but my mother’s voice stopped me.
"Lis, baby, where are you going?" she called gently from behind.
"Oh, Mom!" I spun around with a smile, sweet and harmless. "I just saw my brothers walking outside, so I was going to join them."
"At this hour?" she blinked. She looked clearly surprised. But after a moment, she waved her hand, brushing it off like she didn’t care. "Have you seen my phone, by the way? I think I might’ve left it in your room earlier."
"Yes, I was just about to bring it to you," I said quickly, reaching into the pocket of my pajama pants. "But then I saw my brothers and got distracted..."
I pulled out the phone and handed it over, keeping my smile intact.
Inside, my thoughts were already racing again.
I needed to get to them. Before she came back or they found out where she’d been.
I didn’t want to lose the best opportunity that I had gotten accidentally!