Chapter 3
“…What?”
“Noah’s missing. He left for work five months ago and no one’s seen him since he clocked out. I think… I think he was kidnapped. Miss White, please help me!”
“…What are you…?”
Is she lying to hide Noah?
If that’s the case, then Julia Ashford’s expression was far too sincere. She even dropped to her knees, trying to grasp my hand in desperation.
The gesture was so absurd I swatted her hand away with a sharp flick. The very idea of her skin touching mine was revolting.
Still, I kept my eyes on her. I needed to be sure this wasn’t some ploy to throw me off.
“Noah Ashford. Why are you hiding him?”
“I’m not hiding him. Please… help me find him. No matter how hard we search, he’s nowhere to be found. He’s not the type to just run away. Even the Public Safety Bureau refuses to help. They say he’s not a minor anymore, so they treat it like a simple runaway…”
Julia Ashford began speaking more clearly, organizing her thoughts with a surprising amount of logic. But her words didn’t register. My ears were deafened by rage.
I was getting angrier by the second. Beneath the sinking calm, a boiling hatred surged within me.
It didn’t matter whether she was telling the truth or lying. What mattered was that she had the audacity to beg me—me—for help.
“Bullshit.”
How dare she? How low must she think of me? How utterly bankrupt is her sense of morality to say such things to my face?
I’ve spent my life suffering from a heart condition because of that woman—and now she wants me to find her son?
“You can hate me all you want.”
Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked up.
“But with the power of the Cravitz family, you might actually be able to find Noah. Please, I’m begging you. I know he was kidnapped.”
“Who’d bother kidnapping some useless nobody?”
“Legally… Noah is recorded as your illegitimate child.”
“Wifland law doesn’t recognize illegitimate children.”
“But he’s your son—!”
“Enough!”
I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw hurt. The rage in my chest made my breathing go erratic.
But I refused to show weakness in front of Julia Ashford. I held the fury in until my hands went white from the pressure.
She disgusted me. The mother toyed with me. The son killed me.
I grabbed her by the collar and slammed her against the wall. Her body hit it with a dull thud. Her face was soaked in tears as she whispered weakly,
“…I’m sorry. But Noah really is your son.”
All the strength drained from me.
“…Ha.”
My shoulders slumped. Getting angry was pointless with this woman.
Bang. Bang.
Someone pounded hard on the door. It was Scott, worried I hadn’t returned.
With difficulty, I took a deep breath and released Julia’s collar. I turned my back on her trembling eyes and reached for the doorknob.
But before I could pull it, the door opened. Backlit by the outside light, I squinted and called out to Scott.
“Let’s go. I don’t even know what I expected. I’m disappointed in myself.”
I grabbed his hand and walked. The carriage felt miles away. My legs were so weak I staggered, prompting Scott to lift me onto his back.
“Noah Ashford’s gone missing.”
“It’s probably a runaway. There’s no future in that household. All they’ve got are debts and illnesses from failed ventures. Any ambitious kid would’ve left.”
“Didn’t his grades in elementary school come back unusually high?”
Among the information Scott had gathered was Noah’s school report card. It noted his intelligence and strong academic drive. The kid had been desperate to study.
“Well, at least now I know we’re not really siblings.”
Because I hate studying.
Scott grimaced slightly at my attempt to lighten the mood. It didn’t work.
“Scott. He might’ve gone to his biological father. If the father’s someone influential, he might be hiding Noah.”
“Not likely. Anyone influential gets tracked by Cravitz constantly. But what do you plan to do when you find him?”
“…Wait. I didn’t give her the medicine.”
“Medicine?”
“He needs to stay alive until I’m done with him.”
Just like Isaac, who bled out in front of me—Julia should die bleeding before his eyes.
We hadn’t gone more than a hundred meters, so I left Scott behind and headed back to her house.
I hated going myself, but I needed to hand over the medicine in person—and deliver a warning.
That as much as she destroyed someone else’s family, I would be the one to destroy hers.
“Noah… Be careful.”
A woman’s voice rang from inside just as I reached for the doorknob. I instinctively held my breath.
“They’re looking for you.”
“They?”
The reply came in a low male voice. It was young and strong—far younger than Julia’s.
Rage flared up inside me. She had the audacity to kneel and beg while he was hiding here?
“Noah, don’t come here anymore. They don’t know where you are. Changing your identity worked.”
“Did they hurt you? Are you okay?”
“They didn’t do anything. Thank goodness you were next door when they came…”
“Who was it? Was it the eldest of the White family?”
“…It was just a servant. Nothing happened, so don’t worry.”
Why is she hiding him?
“Mother.”
The word made me slap a hand over my mouth.
I wanted to call Scott that instant—to have Noah dragged out screaming, to make Julia wail in terror. My stomach twisted so hard it stung.
Hold it. It’s not time yet.
At the perfect moment, I would erase the mother and son from this world as if they’d never existed. And before they died, they would live through hell on Earth.
“How’s your health?”
“Much better. Don’t worry. You’ve lost weight. Is work that hard?”
“Probably just growing still. Work’s manageable.”
His calm, gentle voice made my heart thump violently. My breath caught in my throat from the tension.
“How’s the entrance exam prep—?”
The voice cut off.
They sensed someone outside.
I stepped deliberately in front of the door. Scott was nearby—I had nothing to worry about. Soon the door creaked open, and she appeared.
“…You… haven’t left yet.”
Seeing me, Julia’s face turned deathly pale. I saw the flicker of panic in her eyes and how she nervously bit her lip.
Just a few steps inside… and I’d be face to face with my killer. My hands trembled, but I forced myself to stay composed.
“I forgot something.”
I pulled a small medicine pouch from my coat and tossed it to her.
“Medicine. We’ll be seeing each other again.”
I should’ve looked around inside, but my body shrank back, and my eyes instinctively lowered.
I remembered the feeling of being stabbed. Five times. The pain was unforgettable, and tears welled up.
“…Miss White?”
I widened my eyes and stared at the woman who bore an unforgivable sin. I spoke slowly, emphasizing each word with venom.
“Please… don’t die.”
Because the hell you go to after death isn’t meant for me—it’s for you.
“I’m planning to enroll at Iodes.”
At dinner, that bombshell announcement was met with a variety of reactions.
Susan fretted over my health, while Scott, who had gathered the intel I’d asked for, simply smiled. My new sister-in-law, Amanda, flipped out in protest, and Aaron…
“Haha! So you want to go to school? I’ll just give you one of my foundations. Think it over before enrolling.”
As usual, he made sure to remind us all he was the wealthiest of the siblings. The others, had they been present, would’ve reacted much the same.
“Auntie’s going to school? With me?”
“Isaac, I’m going to a different school. We won’t get to play together much anymore. Are you okay with that?”
“I’m not a baby, you know.”
Even when he turns twenty and becomes a grandpa, Isaac will always be my precious little boy.
The memory of him bleeding out, trying to reassure me with a smile, brought tears to my eyes.
“Oh my god, Callie. It’s not like you’re banned from school. Why are you crying?”
Susan, who rarely saw me cry—I’d usually just lash out—hurried over, clearly flustered.
And since the tears had started anyway, I decided to use them.
“I’m over eighteen now. I’ve never been to school—I want to go. Just for one semester. Isn’t that why I created the Scarlett White Foundation? If I can’t go, I at least wanted the next best thing.”
“Hm…”
Aaron looked troubled and cautiously asked,
“Iodes is a top 1% school. How do you plan to get in?”
“They have donation-based admissions.”
In truth, all the paperwork was already done. My admission to Iodes was a done deal. Telling the family now was just a formality. It had been exhausting to prepare everything in secret—even from Scott.
“Just one semester. I’ll quit right after.”
One semester was more than enough time to kill Noah Ashford.
“This isn’t something to take lightly. John could be criticized in parliament.”
“It’s not light for me either. It’s something I want to do before I die.”
“Callie!”
Scott discreetly covered Isaac’s ears while I continued, unfazed.
“No one knows when my condition might worsen. Even a minor illness could be fatal.”
“Which is exactly why you shouldn’t be around large groups of people.”
“But what’s the point of just surviving in this house? A life without meaning is no life at all.”
Amanda comforted a tearful Susan. Scott’s expression clouded over. Aaron crossed his arms with a stern face. Only Isaac smiled.
“That’s great! Auntie’s always stuck at home—this’ll be fun! You’ll get to play ball and sneak snacks like me, right?”
“That’s right, Apple Pie. Auntie’s going to have so much fun. Even more than you.”
Two days later, I got everyone’s approval.
Everything moved quickly. I’d spend school days at a nearby villa and return home for weekends.
When I arrived at Iodes, a designated helper student was waiting.
This student, selected from the same year, received a special scholarship in exchange for helping someone like me all day.
My helper looked nervous, their tanned, healthy skin gone pale.
I hadn’t shown up for the opening ceremony, so they must’ve been waiting outside for a while. That was intentional.
“So… you’re Scarlett White.”
The low voice I’d heard in Julia Ashford’s house rang in my ears. Despite the nervous expression, the voice held no tension.
In truth, I was the one shaking. If I hadn’t taken a sedative earlier, I would’ve collapsed from a panic attack.
Noah Ashford had vanished like smoke and returned with a new identity instead of reclaiming his old one.
An identity belonging to someone his age who had died long ago, but whose records still listed them as alive.
And that name was—
“I’m Theo Grisham.”
The moment I met Noah Ashford’s ice-blue eyes, my heart froze—and I knew.
Killing him wouldn’t be enough.
It was time to plan a much crueler revenge.
