?Chapter 1323:


    Terence spotted two others in the room—his wife Nelly and his son Conrad.


    But why were there only the three of them? Where was his daughter, Katy?


    “Mmm… mmm…” Terence tried to speak but only managed muffled noises.


    All three of them wereshed to heavy chairs, set just far enough apart that Terence couldn’t reach either of the others.


    A few heartbeatster, Nelly and Conrad came around as well. As they woke, a sick realization hit them and they jolted in rm. What in God’s name was happening? Who had tied them up like this?


    They scanned the room and recognized it—it was part of their own home.


    Could Katy be the one who had done this? The idea flickered through their minds and was snatched away almost as fast. No, no way…


    A nightmare crouched over them; a cold, crushing sense of doom swept through their bones.


    The door swung open all at once, and Katy stepped inside. She had a sharp dagger in her hand and a wild grin stretched across her face.


    The three went paper-white—death’s shadow fell over them in an instant.


    “Huh…” Katyughed, unhinged, as she moved toward them one slow step at a time.


    She dropped down in front of them, eyes crazed, the dagger clutched in her fingers.


    “Curious what I’m going to do to the three of you?” she asked. Her voice was soft, theugh too bright and fractured forfort.


    “Mmm… mmm…” the three whimpered, faces drained of color.


    “Don’t be scared. I won’t let it drag on—just hold on a little and it’ll be over,” Katy said with a light, almost yful chuckle. Her gaze slid to Nelly and she whispered, “Mom—do you want to live?”


    Nelly nodded frantically, staring at Katy like she’d gonepletely mad, terror tightening her chest.


    “I have a way to keep us alive,” Katy said, tugging the cloth from Nelly’s mouth.


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    “H-how? Katy, please—let us go. We’re family; we can talk this out,” Nelly begged, panic in her voice.


    “Mom, only one of you three can survive,” Katy said, fondling the dagger with a smile that didn’t belong on anyone sane.


    Nelly’s face drained of color as she stared at Katy in stunned horror. How had Katy turned like this so suddenly?


    “Katy, let us go first and we can work this out. Look—look at us; we’re your family…”


    Before Nelly finished, Katy cut her off with a hard, furious re. “My family? That’s the biggest lie of all! You used me as a bargaining chip! You knew how monstrous Darian is and still wanted to shove me into sacrifice!”


    Rage boiled in Katy’s words; she ground her teeth, a murderous thought glittering behind her eyes. “Davina was right—if not for her, I’d have been the one offered up first!”


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