<h4>Chapter 376: Chapter 376 Checkmate</h4>


    Cecilia ’s pov


    The room went quiet. You could feel the tension.


    Daisy had just used me of "tainting" Sebastian.


    My blood boiled.


    Seriously, who was tainting who ? He was the one chasing me.


    But somehow, I was the bad guy in this whole mess.


    Honestly, was there any justice left in this ridiculous world ?


    From the corner of my eye, I saw Harper press her lips together, her brows drawn tight. To anyone watching, she looked serious. Angry. Terrified.


    In reality... she was trying not tough.


    I let out a slow breath and let the fear melt from my face. My expression cooled as I turned to Daisy.


    "You’re in love with Sebastian, aren’t you ?" I asked, calm and direct.


    The words left my lips like a de. My eyes held nothing but cold amusement.


    Daisy froze. Whatever superiority she had evaporated in a heartbeat.


    I gave her azy smile. "Come on, Daisy. Don’t be shy."


    She looked at me like she was ready to kill.


    I could feel the hateing off her.


    I didn’t say much, but I hit a nerve. And I hit it hard.


    "You’re truly insufferable," she hissed. "I was going to give you a merciful death. Quick. Painless. But now ?"


    Her voice dropped, sharp as ice. "Now I want to hear you scream."


    She backed away and shouted toward the bedroom.


    "What are you waiting for ? Get out here and take them to the roof. Make it look like an ident."


    The bedroom door creaked open. Someone stepped out.


    I pulled back, letting panic show on my face. Harper jumped right in, her voice shooting up like she’d rehearsed it.


    "Mrs. Daisy, please! Don’t kill us! I swear I won’t tell anyone about your weird little cousin crush. Or the way you—God, the way you talk about his hands!"


    "Shut up!" Daisy screamed, her voice cracking. "Throw her off first!"


    Harper didn’t stop. She kept sobbing and gasping like she was in a soap opera. Still no tears, of course.


    I leaned into her. We clung to each other like two scared kids.


    Daisy watched with growing satisfaction, chest rising and falling like she was savoring the moment.


    Footsteps approached. Daisy’s lips curled into a vicious smile.


    "Do it now," she ordered.


    "With pleasure," came the reply.


    Just as the words left his mouth, Daisy’s expression shifted. Something was off. Toote.


    A hand grabbed her from behind. She spun around and froze when she saw Tang.


    "You..." she gasped. Her face went pale in an instant.


    Tang held up a length of cord, expression calm. "Do you want to be tied up, Mrs.Daisy ? Or do we skip the formalities ?"


    "Let me go!" she screamed, thrashing in his grip.


    "Not happening," he said coolly. "I’m Cecilia ’s bodyguard, and you just announced your murder ns in surround sound. Did you really think I wouldn’t act ?"


    He twisted her wrist a little more. She gasped.


    "You’re hurting me!"


    Tang didn’t blink. "You’re nning to toss two people off a roof. I think you’ll survive a sore arm."


    His voice dropped lower. "I already notified the Alpha Sebastian . He’ll be here any minute. You might want to rehearse your excuses."


    The color drained from Daisy’s face.


    Her eyes darted from Tang to Harper and me on the couch, her brain scrambling to connect the dots.


    She stered on a shocked expression. "I don’t know what you’re talking about! I came here to rescue them!"


    Tang didn’t even blink.


    "My hearing’s excellent," he said tly. "I heard every word. You ordered someone to kill them."


    Daisy forced augh, the sound brittle. "I was upset, that’s all. I said some things to scare Cecilia. You misunderstood."


    Tang arched a brow. "Do I look stupid to you ?"


    From the couch, Harper and I exchanged a look.


    She truly had no shame.


    The front door opened. Sebastian stepped in, Sawyer close behind.


    Daisy spun toward them like salvation had just walked through the door. Sheunched into her story before anyone else could speak.


    "Sebastian! Thank God you’re here. Those guys trapped me, and I couldn’t get away. I dropped my phone when I was running."


    Sebastian scanned the room calmly. He didn’t rush forward. Didn’t untie me or Harper. He looked... bored.


    "I saw your car," he said coolly. "It hit a tree. Your purse and phone are still inside."


    "Everything happened so fast," Daisy went on, stealing a nce at me. "The butler gave me the address over the phone. I came right away.


    But things got out of hand. Cecilia and Harper misunderstood. We argued. Tang overheard and took it the wrong way."


    Sebastian sat down in a chair like he had all the time in the world.


    "What kind of misunderstanding ?" he asked.


    He gestured for Tang to let go. Tang released her with clear reluctance.


    Daisy rubbed her wrist, eyes flicking around the room as her brain worked overtime.


    She didn’t notice the obvious: why no one looked surprised to see each other. Why Tang hadn’t untied us. Why Sebastian looked like he was waiting for a show to start.


    She was too busy spinning her story.


    "I know, it was stupid," she said, her voice calm but rehearsed. "I came to help, but Harper started using me of working with the butler.


    Then Cecilia said some weird stuff, and I kind of lost it. I said a few things I shouldn’t have. Tang overheard and got the wrong idea."


    She dropped her voice a little. "I tried to exin, but he wouldn’t listen."


    Her act was smooth.


    Just the right mix of guilt and confusion to make her sound believable.