"Yes, Ms. Sinir." Two men appeared out of nowhere and dragged the weak and powerless Sky upstairs.


    Sophia remained seated on the couch for a while before getting up to pour herself a ss of red wine. She swirled the liquid gently, then raised her ss in a quiet toast to the air.


    "Sophia, congrattions on your rebirth," she murmured to herself. Then, she downed the wine in one gulp before turning and heading upstairs.


    Sky was thrown into the master bedroom on the second floor-the same room Emma had chosen for herself when he arranged for her to move in. Now that it had been hers, Sophia had no intention of using it.


    "You two can leave now."


    With a wave of her hand, the two men stepped out.


    Sophia pushed open the door and entered. Inside, Emma and Cindy were tied together, while Skyy weakly on the floor.


    "Cindy, the one who killed Shane is right here. Now''s your chance for revenge."


    Sophia stepped forward and untied Cindy''s ropes. "Think about it-how did Sky plunge that knife into Shane''s heart?


    "He''s right in front of you. You can avenge your son now."


    Her voice softened, almost hypnotic, as she leaned in closer. The corners of her lips curved up ever so slightly, her tone gentle yetced with an undeniable lure.


    "Cindy, the opportunity is right here. Think about how cruelly Shane died. If it weren''t for Sky, would Shane have dared toy a hand on me? And if he hadn''t, would I have ever had the chance to make Sky kill him?


    "You''re Shane''s mother—his real mother. Watching your own child die before your eyes must have been unbearable. But now, the one responsible is right here. Kill him, and Shane can finally rest in peace."


    Cindy, her hands now free, stood frozen as Sophia''s words echoed in her mind. Sophia rose to her feet, giving Cindy freedom but keeping Emma restrained. Emma''s eyes widened in disbelief, terror shing across her face. "Sophia Sinir, you''ve lost your mind! You''re insane! Do you even realize that?"


    Sophia''s hand pped hard across Emma''s face. "Am I insane? Wasn''t it you who drove me to this?"


    "Emma, drop the innocent act," she sneered. "You made me this way you all did."


    Sophia smiled, crouching down to grip Emma''s chin tightly. "Don''t be so hasty. Your turn wille soon enough."


    She let out a low chuckle. "You don''t want to hand over my photos and videos? That''s fine. I don''t care. Worst-case scenario? I die.


    "But Emma-you will die before me."


    She turned her head slightly, her voiceced with dark amusement. "Now, watch closely. Watch how the brother who loves you most is about to die because of you.


    "Cindy, your son-Shane-died so tragically. He lost so much blood. And the person who killed him? He''s here right in front of you."


    Sophia''s voice dropped into an eerie whisper. "You''re really not going to avenge him? You''re not afraid that if you don''t, he''lle crying for you in the middle of the night?"


    Sophia''s grip tightened around Emma''s chin as she whispered, her voice slow and deliberate. "Sky is right in front of you. Kill him. Avenge Shane."


    "Ahhh!" With a sudden scream, Cindy lunged at Sky, grabbing the knife beside him and plunging it into his chest.


    "No!" Emma shrieked, her voice raw with desperation. She struggled with all her strength to break free from Sophia''s grasp, stumbling toward Sky.


    "Cindy, you''re insane! How could you kill Sky? How dare you?


    "Sky, don''t scare me. Please don''t scare me!"


    Tears streamed down Emma''s face as panic took hold. She couldn''t stop crying, her sobs shaking her entire body. "Cindy, kill Sophia instead! Kill her!


    "Sky!"


    Cindy stared at the blood pooling beneath her, suddenly realizing what she had done. Fear gripped her, and she stumbled backward.


    "It wasn''t me... It wasn''t me... I didn''t mean to do it. I didn''t want to kill Mr. Sky. I didn''t!"


    Panicked, Cindy turned to flee, but no matter how hard she yanked at the door, it wouldn''t budge.


    "Emma, Cindy just killed your beloved Sky. Are you really not going to avenge him?"


    Sophia''s eerie voice rang out again from the shadows. "Sky killed Shane to save you. If you kill Cindy now, no one will ever know what Sky did."


    "Shut up, Sophia! Shut up! It''s you! It''s all because of you!" Emma screamed, her voice filled with rage. "You''re the one who should die!


    "You wretched woman! You were Sky''s fiancée, yet you kept seducing Marcus! Seeing him protect you makes you feel triumphant, doesn''t it?"


    "Yes, it does."


    Sophia let out augh. "So what if you''re Marcus'' fiancée? The one he''s protecting is me.


    "You were once the cherished daughter of the Walker family, and even then, Marcus never loved you. Now, you''re nothing but a fraud-what chance do you think you have?


    "Emma, take a good look at yourself. You can''t evenpare to a single strand of Natalie''s hair. A fraud is a fraud. No matter how long you yed the part, you could never make it real.


    ?


    "But don''t worry. Being a fraud does have its perks-at least now you can marry Sky! Marry him, and you''ll be the Walker family''sdy of the house. Even Natalie will have to call you sister-inw."


    Sophia''s lips curled into a slow smile as she continued in a deliberate, coaxing tone.


    "Sky loved you so much. He even killed for you. And now, for your sake, he''s been killed by Cindy.


    "If you kill Cindy now, avenging Sky,


    you''ll be his savior. It''ll also make it easier for you to marry into the Walker family, don''t you think? The opportunity is right in front of of you. It''s just a matter of whether you''ll take it.


    "Emma, think about how much Sky loved and doted on you all these years. His


    killer is right in front of you-will you not avenge him?


    "Whether Sky survives depends on whether you''re willing to kill Cindy."


    With those final words, Sophia smirked and stepped back.


    "Em... Emma..." Sky weakly lifted his trembling hand, trying to reach for her.


    Emma rushed forward. "Sky! Please, don''t leave me! You''ll be okay-I won''t let anything happen to you!"


    "Emma, don''t cry," Sky''s voice was weak and strained. "Don''t be afraid. I''ll be fine."


    "Ahhh!"


    Nearby, Cindy was on the verge of copse. She frantically pulled at the door, but


    no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn''t budge.


    "Open the door! Open the door!"


    "Emma, Cindy''s trying to escape!" Sophia''s voice floated through the air like a ghostly whisper. "Are you really going to let Sky''s murderer get away? Or is it that you, Emma, are nothing more than an ungrateful wretch?


    "Sky loved you so much, yet you won''t even avenge him. No wonder the Walker family doesn''t want you."


    "You''re lying! You''re lying!" Emma sobbed, shaking with fury. "Sky, I''ll save you! I won''t let anything happen to you!"


    Emma turned, her tear-filled eyes burning with hatred. She grabbed the bloodstained knife from the floor and charged at Cindy, stabbing her viciously in


    the chest.


    "I''ll make you pay for killing Sky!"


    "Ms. Emma..." Cindy''s eyes widened in disbelief, her gaze locking onto Emma even in her final moments.