Betrayed By Husband, Stolen By Brother In Law

"Tell me. Tell me quickly. Is it done?"

Marianne stared at her reflection in the mirror, her lips curling in anticipation. She could have laughed at the expression on her own face-eager, hungry, almost childish in its glee. But she restrained herself, forcing her features into something cooler, calmer. Her voice, however, carried an undercurrent of suppressed excitement as she waited for the answer on the phone. The answer she had been hoping for all day. For years actually...

The good news.

That Richard's older daughter was finally dead-murdered by his younger daughter's own hand.

It was perfect. Two problems erased in one stroke. The ideal solution. The older girl gone for good, the younger one forever tainted by the crime. No more competition, no more threats.

But her smile faltered when the other end of the line remained silent.

Her brows knitted together. "What is it? Don't tell me she chickened out and didn't kill her?" she demanded, her tone turning sharp, almost biting.

Then another thought struck her. Her eyes narrowed. "Is it that she was caught?"

Yes-that could be it. That would make sense. Maybe Melanie had caught her in the act. That wasn't entirely bad either. It would mean she was still stuck with at least one of them, but at least one would be gone, and that was still progress.

She tapped her nails against the dressing table impatiently. "Are you going to tell me, or have you suddenly gone mute?"

Finally, her brother spoke. "Neither. She didn't do it."

Marianne's scowl deepened. The anticipation drained from her expression, replaced with sharp irritation. "What do you mean she didn't do it? I told you, didn't I? If she got cold feet, you were supposed to encourage her—or at the very least, make sure she was the one blamed, even if you had to finish the job yourself. What is wrong with you?"

His voice rose slightly. "How am I supposed to do the job and blame it on her when she isn't even here?"

She froze for a moment. "What do you mean?"

He let out a bitter laugh. "That love-brained daughter of yours! The moment she heard you'd planned a holiday, she decided she would do it today, which is exactly what you wanted and had predicted. And, as per your instructions, I even gave her everything-the mask, the clothes, the equipment, all of it. And then-do you know what happened? Adam messaged her, inviting her to join him on some business trip. So, she dropped the plan entirely and ran off with him instead. She's already out of the country with Adam Collins! Tell me, Marianne-how exactly was I supposed to pin a murder on her if she wasn't even in the same city?"

Marianne's eyes flashed. "And why," she asked in a dangerously low voice, "did you not stop her from leaving with Adam?"

"I did," he shot back. "I told her she should stick to the plan, but she just laughed and said she could always handle Melanie later. But getting another chance with Adam? That was rare. She wasn't going to miss it."

For a moment, Marianne simply stood there, her jaw tightening, her hands curling into fists at her sides. And then it broke—rage flooding her in a hot wave.

"That stupid, pathetic girl!" she hissed. Her hand clenched around the phone so tightly her knuckles went white, and then she hurled it across the room. It struck the wall with a sharp crack before falling to the floor, the battery clattering loose.

Her breathing was sharp and uneven, her chest rising and falling as she stared at the broken device. "Fine," she muttered, almost to herself, but the venom in her tone was unmistakable. "If she thinks she can play games with me, she's wrong. I'll deal with her myself. I'll make sure Melanie and Melody both disappear! I've waited for this for years and this time, I won't leave it to anyone else."

She turned back to the mirror, her reflection now twisted with fury. "She's as good as dead."

Just then, the phone in the room rang. Marianne's head snapped toward it, her glare sharp enough to cut through glass. She didn't need to check the display—of course, it would be her brother. Who else would dare call her now? Without bothering to mask her irritation, she snatched up the receiver and barked, "What? What is it now? Haven't you already given me enough bad news for one day?"

There was a brief pause before the voice on the other end asked, almost puzzled, "What bad news?"

Marianne froze. That wasn't her brother. That was Richard.

Her mind flickered through possibilities, trying to place why he was calling her here, of all times. Before she could piece it together, his voice came again, calm but tinged with concern. "What happened, Marianne? What bad news? Has something happened? Is that why I couldn't reach your phone?"

She forced a slow breath, smoothing her tone. "Oh… that. My phone fell into water today. I took it to someone to get it repaired, but they called back saying it couldn't be fixed. I got annoyed, that's all. Otherwise, I'm fine." She leaned into her sweetness. "Richard… where are you right now? When are you coming to me?"

There was a pause, and then his voice dropped, weighted with guilt. "Sorry, Marianne. I'll have to let you down again. I'm leaving for Country P. Also… Melanie and Adam have gone off for a small trip."

Marianne's lips curled in a silent scoff. Ah. So that was the real reason for his call. His precious Melody had been left all alone, and now he wanted her, to cut short her own vacation just to keep the girl company. The nerve. Did he think she had no life of her own?

But none of her contempt made it to her voice. Instead, she let out a light, pleasant laugh and said sweetly, "What do you say we take a rain check on this vacation? I'll go back to Melody, since she's been left all alone."