?Chapter 323:


    “Stop talking nonsense! You’ve always been jealous of Rachel because she’s prettier than you!” Jeffrey shot back, his voice shaking. “And let me tell you onest time—my mom isn’t dead! She’s up there, a star in the sky!”


    And with that, he spun around, ready to bolt.


    But Kate wasn’t about to let him escape so easily. She grabbed his wrist, refusing to let go. “You don’t believe me? Fine! I’ll prove it. I’ve got books in my room—tons of them. I’ll show you the truth.”


    Jeffrey, frail and weak back then, didn’t stand a chance against her determination.


    Before long, she had forcibly dragged him into her bedroom. Once inside, Kate hurled a stack of astronomy books at him,manding him to read them.


    When Jeffrey refused toply, she began reading aloud passages about stars, methodically dismantling his cherished beliefs.


    Within just ten minutes, Kate had crushed the final fragments of hope in Jeffrey’s heart.


    That day, Jeffrey wept. He sobbed with raw, unrestrained anguish. It also marked the first time he felt genuine dislike toward Kate—the pampered girl who always appeared immactely dressed. Previously, even when Moira had targeted him, he’d maintained a fondness for his cute and pretty stepsister. Because despite her spoiled nature, Kate had never truly wounded him until now.


    But this? This was different.


    “Open the door! I want to leave!” Jeffrey demanded, his voice hoarse. But Kate forced him to continue reading, to confront the truth, refusing to grant him an escape.


    Later, when her attention wavered, he quietly utched the door and slipped into the hallway.


    Kate, still unsatisfied, immediately pursued him, clutching his sleeve to halt his escape.


    They struggled near the stairwell, and overwhelmed by grief, Jeffrey lost control and shoved her away.


    Neither child anticipated that with a single push, Kate would tumble down the entire staircase.


    When Jeffrey rushed down to check on her, he found her lying in an expanding pool of crimson, her small body nearly covered in blood. It was this incident that ignited Moira’s murderous intent toward Jeffrey and Rachel.


    Full cont3nt h3re: g??lnovels.??????


    Their father beat Jeffrey so severely that he clung to life by the thinnest thread.


    From that day forward, the status of Jeffrey and Rachel in the household plummeted further, their worth sometimes valued less than Kate’s pet.


    Though Kate lost considerable blood, fortune favored her with mostly superficial wounds.


    Later, she recovered and returned home from the hospital.


    Her first words to Jeffrey carried a sinister undertone. “Hey, my silly brother, don’t you miss your mom terribly? I’ve thought of a perfect way for you to see her.”


    “What way?” Jeffrey gazed at her, his eyes brimming with innocent hope.


    Kate’s next words sent a chill straight to his bones. “I heard that if you die, you can see the dead. So, if you go, you’ll see your mom.”


    Rachel, who had just arrived with a tray of food for Jeffrey, froze in the doorway.


    Without a second thought, she put the tray down and lunged at Kate. That day, Rachel beat Kate to a pulp. By the time she was done, Kate had lost four teeth, and her face was a swollen, tear-streaked mess. But Rachel didn’t feel a shred of remorse. Not when that wretched girl had dared to tell her brother to die.


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