Derek's POV
Dressed in neat clothes, I walked next to Mark. After exquisite disguise, right now, I was just like an inconspicuous bodyguard.
Our destination was an ancient castle dating back to the last century.
According to the agreed arrangement, Mark and I got out of the car in the distance and walked there.
As soon as we arrived, we saw the rusty iron gate open automatically as if welcoming us in silence.
The castle was built by some foreigners, and now, they still owned it.
Since it had been deserted for a long time, wild roses crept all over the walls.
In the dim light, it made me feel like I was in a medieval vampire mansion.
A few crows were perched on the walls, adding to the eerie atmosphere.
Inside, it was dead quiet. The only sounds were the thud of our heavy Martin boots on the ground.
I remained silent and followed Mark closely, eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary.
As we stepped into the courtyard, the iron gate closed automatically, which gave me a bad feeling as if we were walking into a trap.
The castle was massive, and even the main entrance looked nothing but solemn and spectacular.
Suddenly, the video doorbell buzzed, and a woman's voice coldly instructed, "Mr. Sutton, only you are allowed to come in."
Mark responded as indifferent as ever, "I hired him to be my bodyguard for my safety. He's the only one I brought with me today."
The woman spoke again, her tone absolutely commanding, "Come in alone as I said. Or you may go back."
Mark and I exchanged a glance, and I knew what he meant.
Then he said, "Fine. I'm coming in by myself."
The door opened, and I stopped in my tracks, watching as Mark walked alone into the depths of the castle.
As I stayed outside, I couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy.
Daphne's POV
Right now, I was lying in a dim room in the castle.
The medical treatment was timely, so I made it. But I had multiple comminuted fractures all over my body, and I was crippled for life.
The pain in my chest made me suffer in agony every moment.
The woman put down her phone and shook it at me.
With zero warmth, she said, "Mark is here."
Hope flared up in my chest all of a sudden, and I snapped my gaze to her.
I stared at her intensely, not even blinking. Perhaps sensing my anxiety, she took off my oxygen mask.
I couldn't help but ask the question that had been haunting me in a weak voice, "What exactly are you up to?"
"What am I up to?" she chuckled. She looked exactly as I remembered. Time had shown her great mercy by not adding any wrinkles to her face.
However, she was no longer gentle or kind. Instead, she had become a cruel and deranged devil.
I burst into tears as I questioned her, my voice hoarse, "You love Dad so much, don't you? Why would you fake your death and do all this?"
Megan's lips curled up into a crazy smirk. Her touch was so gentle, but I was shaking like a leaf.
"Are you this afraid of me? I remember how clingy you were to me when you were little. You wouldn't go to sleep without me every night. Have you forgotten about it, my sweet girl?"
The way she addressed me gave me goosebumps.
I had called her Mom for years, and even though we weren't related by blood, we'd spent so much time together.
After all I had done for her, this was how she treated me.
"Why are you doing this to me? How could you!" I didn't get it. She used to be so gentle to me. What changed her?
Megan chuckled and said, "You silly girl. I don't have any beef with you, of course. It's Mark who owes me. Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for this day?"
She became agitated and even a bit frantic.
As I looked at her, I felt terrified.
Her face, the same as it was before she "died" more than a decade ago, was beyond creepy.
"I'd like to see the expression on his face when he knows the truth. Will he regret the way he treated me?"
Megan put the oxygen mask back on my face and used her fingers to wipe away the tears at the corners of my eyes.
"Relax. I'll spare your life considering that I've raised you. Now, I'm gonna go deal with him."
She took out a tissue and gently wiped away the tears on her fingertips as if they were something filthy. Then she casually tossed it in the trash can.
I desperately wanted to stop her as I watched her leave.
Meanwhile, I whispered in my heart, 'Dad, don't come. It's a trap. What's waiting for you is a bottomless pit...'
Tears streamed down my face, soaking my cheeks and blurring my sight.
They just wouldn't stop flowing, like all the regret boiling inside me.
Only now did I regret what I had done to Holly.
She was such a fool. She didn't know I was her biological daughter, yet she loved me unconditionally.
I had always yearned for maternal love, and Holly was always there for me. But I never appreciated it.
Every time I closed my eyes, I would recall what I'd done to her. When I heard she was pregnant, I intentionally spilled olive oil on the stairs. So she fell and miscarried.
After she was discharged, I dared not meet her eyes when I faced her. And since I was a kid, guilt written all over my face. Yet she just weakly stroked my head and told me that it didn't matter. She'd always love me and treat me like her own child.
I could tell she had guessed that I was the one behind it, but she never told anyone.
She lost her baby and almost died, but she just took my prank as a child's joke.
Since then, she treated me even better. She must've thought that I was afraid her baby would take my place in the Amber's Eye Pack.
But what did I do? I was always so mean to her, hurting her with all kinds of harsh words.
If I could move my body, I'd slap myself across the face.
I knew that my blood matched hers, but I didn't wanna save her.
Egged on by Megan, I even wanted her dead.
Whenever I thought of the blood she vomited, I regretted it deeply.
'Mom, I'm sorry!' I muttered.