Why did she trust Samuel and Scarlett so completely? Because back in her first year as a celebrity, they had a minor car accident. They spent half a month in the hospital. Rita only arrived on the third day, while Rick stayed by their side the whole time. She felt guilty and ashamed. But that same day, they gave her all their savings—five million.
"The accident came too fast. Mom and Dad don't know how long they'll live. Some things are better said early. We're giving you all the family money. From now on, you're the pillar of the family."
"Your brother will eventually marry. If the money goes to him, once he has a wife, he won't be as focused. You might feel slighted. Keeping the money with you gives us peace of mind. If he behaves, you give him some; if he doesn't, we'll keep it ourselves."
Scarlett, still in her usual petty style, added warmly, "Don't blame Mom for being frugal. See, the money she saved is for you! Mom never lied to you. You're the best. Even if I nag, I love you most."
What a show.
Rita considered herself restrained enough; otherwise, she wouldn't have given away only half of her earnings over all these years. Sometimes she wondered if she was too cold-hearted—her family trusted her with everything, yet she always kept a portion for herself.
Until the third year of the game invasion, when the Lopez family hunted her to the edge, she hid in the Wilson family's home for a day. That's when she discovered their secret room.
How ridiculous. She had assumed the Wilson family was impressive just for combining two floors of a downtown flat. But the unit next door was also theirs, reserved to store treasures. The storage room connected directly to their study, functioning as a secret chamber.
Inside were several boxes of gold bars, thirteen boxes of antiques, calligraphy, and artwork, and seven boxes of jewelry.
The Wilson family didn't keep much cash. Samuel was a branch of the B City Wilson family, a regular professor publicly, without access to the family business. But his father had inherited these treasures during the family division.
The gold alone was worth over seventy million… not to mention the art and antiques. Yet they told her five million was everything, and entrusted it all to her. They trusted only her.
Rita pressed a hand to her aching chest, telling herself not to rush, not to blame herself. She wasn't foolish; they were just extraordinary.
But the more she thought, the more tears came. She realized she could never trust anyone again.
They had destroyed her ability to trust. Even her closest loved ones could betray her. Sweet words from them were poisoned. If she couldn't trust them, how could she trust anyone else?
Rita exhaled and accepted it. She couldn't wait—if she didn't get what she came for tonight, she wouldn't sleep.
It was only the 25th. She felt busier than a dog.
She drove to a shipping station, bought several of the largest cardboard boxes, and dragged them home. She assembled them, stacked them into her inventory slots, then boldly drove to the Wilson family. News that Robinson had jumped under Amelia's pressure had already spread in her work group. She briefly spoke with Samuel and the others, then feigned a bad mood and returned to her room.
Halfway up the stairs, Scarlett couldn't resist asking her to come down, informing her that Rick's girlfriend would visit tomorrow—the daughter of the Lopez family.
Rita feigned surprise. "Secretly dating, huh? Not bad. The Lopez family? Which one?"
Scarlett smiled: "Mateo, the movie emperor? That Lopez family. Mateo is their eldest, Theodore, the second, won last Olympics' archery. Your brother's girlfriend is their youngest daughter, Zoey. They've been together half a year, bringing her to visit us tomorrow."
Rita smiled brightly. "Perfect. You must behave well."
Rick noticed her smile, frowning slightly.
Seeing the expression in Rick's eyes, Rita felt disgusted. In the book, she had been portrayed as a possessive, obsessive sister—but she hadn't crossed boundaries. The author made her look insane to justify the male lead's actions: killing her off to claim her talent for the story.
But that was fiction.
For her, the moment she died, she saw through the narrative. If he wanted her gift, she had to die. The taints forced upon her existed only to make the male lead appear flawless.
Now, would Rick really believe she considered him her possession? Who was the real pervert?
Rita played along with Scarlett briefly, but didn't mention the villa purchase.
She was curious. "I know Mateo. His family is rich, right? Will they accept our family?"
Scarlett froze, voice lowering. "See, you have a house now. Can't you get one for your brother? Just enough for the wedding; after that, it goes back under your name."
Last life, they didn't need to suggest it. Rita feigned helplessness. "I have no money. A friend mentioned a project—good returns. That's why I celebrated with my brother a few days ago. Once I make the money, we can buy villas. Right now… I really don't have any."
Scarlett was easily manipulated by Samuel but also easily fooled. Once Rita finished, Scarlett's anger dissipated. Rita moved her attention to Samuel.
It was Samuel's turn.
Rita didn't want to listen. "Maybe we sell this house. The down payment should be enough."
Everyone fell silent. Rita sighed, admitting her own helplessness. The drama wasn't finished, her manager had issues, and she left the room, putting on a facade of career frustration.
Passing the study, she slipped inside, placing the Whitebone thrush in the corner. She had stripped its flesh, leaving only a tiny skeleton.
She casually picked up a book. As she stepped out, she saw Samuel outside the study, calm, but she knew he was guarding the secret of the room.
Rita returned to her room, training her body on the carpet while monitoring the thrush.
She hadn't allocated her upgraded five attribute points yet—they could be raised through early training.
After an hour of exercise and a shower, she began recording the secrets and information she remembered from her past life.