The warning from Felix kept replaying in my head.
"Make sure he doesn't know you have any connection with Mee J. If he finds out, he will kill you. The only reason he is calm right now is because I'm his son. He doesn't use his own offspring to play with."
I let out a quiet breath.
So that was another piece of information.
He doesn't use his own offspring.
Interesting.
That only made one thing clearer to me.
He must never find out who I really am.
Because the moment he does… everything will change.
And honestly, the more I observed him, the more I leaned toward one decision.
Killing him.
Especially when I remembered what happened that night.
The way he spoke so casually about violating Judy…
My fingers tightened unconsciously.
If he truly loved my mother like he claimed…
Why did he abandon her?
Why didn't he approve of Felix and Judy?
So many questions.
No answers.
Somewhere in the middle of those thoughts, sleep took over.
The next morning, I checked my wound.
It was healing well, but it needed air to dry properly.
So I chose something different.
A loose outfit with long sleeves.
And for the first time in a long while…
I dressed feminine.
The color I chose was not random.
It was my mother's favorite.
My wavy hair fell naturally to my elbows, soft and unrestrained.
Looking at myself briefly, I almost didn't recognize the person staring back.
It had been months since I dressed like this.
If not for the wound…
And the need to provoke someone…
I wouldn't have bothered.
At the dining table, he was already there.
Mr. Desmond.
"Good morning," I said calmly.
He only hummed in response.
I didn't care.
I sat down and reached for the fruit juice first, taking a slow sip before picking up the bread and spreading mayonnaise over it.
Everything felt normal.
Too normal.
Then I noticed it.
Everything on the table…
It was exactly what I liked.
I smiled faintly.
"What a childish move," I thought to myself.
Still, I ate calmly, finishing my food without rushing.
As always, I made sure everything I used was cleaned personally.
No traces.
No mistakes.
When I stood up to leave, I felt his gaze on me.
Heavy.
Observant.
Like he was trying to memorize my face.
I ignored it and walked toward the door.
Then he spoke.
"Miss Catherine."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"I will stop my men from following you," he continued, "but you need to give me the original copy of the video you sent."
I laughed softly.
"I already sent the original copy last night," I replied. "I knew you would ask."
Then I added casually, "In exchange, I want one of your cars. And I don't want anything suspicious on it. No tracker."
He laughed.
"You really know how to do business," he said.
Then his tone shifted slightly.
"And the way you behave in this mansion… as if it belongs to you… is quite questionable."
I didn't respond.
"Coming here with Felix," he added, "was just a cover, wasn't it?"
I smirked slightly.
But said nothing.
And walked out.
I went straight to the park.
The location Mr. handsome had sent.
As I arrived, I was about to text him to ask where exactly we were meeting when I heard it.
A cry.
Soft.
Fragile.
I turned toward the sound.
A group of kids were surrounding a little girl.
Bullying her.
She looked small.
Delicate.
But incredibly beautiful.
Something about her made me pause.
I walked over.
"What do you think you're doing?" I asked calmly.
One of the boys scoffed.
"I just wanted to tell her how ugly she looks," he said loudly. "But this bad woman stopped me."
Bad woman?
Before I could respond, a chubby woman rushed over.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Mommy, she's disturbing me," the boy said, pointing at me.
The woman turned to me.
"And who exactly are you?"
Without hesitation, I answered.
"I'm her mother."
The woman raised her brow.
"And?"
"Your son and his friends were bullying my daughter," I said calmly.
She scoffed.
"So what? My son can do whatever he wants."
Murmurs spread among the other parents nearby.
Even they were shocked.
Then she added, "You should apologize to my son."
That was when my patience snapped.
Before I could respond, someone nearby whispered,
"Madam Owen… please just let it go."
Ah.
So that's who she was.
Without saying a word, I sent a quick message to my assistant.
Make sure her husband loses his job. Everywhere.
Then I looked at her.
"You'll regret this," I said calmly. "And your child will learn how to behave before today ends."
I picked up the little girl and walked away.
I took her to an ice cream stand nearby.
She kept staring at the ice cream, so I bought one for her… and one for myself.
We sat quietly for a while.
After she calmed down, I asked,
"Where is your mother? She must be worried."
Her eyes filled with tears again.
"I don't have a mother," she said softly.
"I only have my uncle… but I don't know where he is."
Her voice trembled.
"He was trying to get me a teddy bear… then someone pushed me… and I lost him…"
She broke down again.
I gently patted her back.
"Do you know his number?" I asked.
She shook her head.
Crying harder.
I sighed softly and checked her bag.
There was a phone inside.
"Whose phone is this?" I asked.
"Mine…" she sniffled.
She unlocked it.
At that exact moment, a call came in.
Before I could react, she picked it up and put it on speaker.
"Uncle!" she cried loudly.
Then a voice came through.
Familiar.
Worried.
"Ava… where are you?"