Blood splattered on the snow, turning it into a field of crimson roses. Bodies lay scattered on the ground. The girl stood amidst the snow, her dress stained red, fluttering in the wind.
"Sis!"
A young boy's anguished cry pierced the snowy night.
The girl seemed to awaken from a trance. She stared blankly at the bloodied knife in her hand and the corpses around her. Realizing what she had done, she clutched her head and screamed hysterically.
"Sis!"
"I killed them." The girl trembled violently, then turned to her brother standing at the door. Her eyes were filled with sorrow as she murmured, "Maybe it's for the best, Chase. They won't bully you anymore."
Snowflakes fell on her shoulders and dress. She looked up at the falling snow and began to laugh softly.
"Chase, the snow is so beautiful… So beautiful."
She whispered, then slowly raised the knife to her chest.
"No- Don't!"
Chase jolted awake, sitting up in bed. The room was quiet, no snow, just clear skies outside.
It was only a dream.
He breathed heavily, his long fingers tangled in his hair. This nightmare had haunted him for years.
After a moment, he looked down at the person on the bed. Hazel lay there with her eyes closed, her face pale beneath her long, dark hair.
Chase stared at her, then suddenly pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, almost greedily inhaling the faint scent on her. He inhaled deeply, and it took him a long time to come out of the dream.
His eyes began to clear. Just as he was about to let her go, he noticed her collar was wrinkled. The already low-cut V-neck now revealed the soft, delicate skin of her chest, marked with a few red spots from the friction.
He reached out and touched it. It was very soft, like jelly.
"Damn it."
He couldn't believe he was aroused by a lunatic.
He pushed her away forcefully and sat up. Still not enough, he grabbed Hazel's cheeks and pulled them apart.
Having lived on Star Island for so long, Hazel was highly sensitive and alert. She had woken up the moment he sat up but continued to pretend to be asleep.
She kept pretending.
But he pinched her nose shut.
Hazel held on as long as she could, but eventually, she couldn't breathe and opened her eyes to look at him. "Mmm…"
She didn't resist, just looked at him, her eyes blank and pure, her long hair splayed like seaweed on the bed.
Her voice was soft.
Chase's breath caught, his chest itching from her gaze and voice, making him want to tear off her dress immediately.
He couldn't take it anymore! He released her abruptly, jumped out of bed, and left the room barefoot without even putting on his slippers.
Hazel rubbed her nose, got out of bed, and quietly followed him. She hid behind a large antique vase at the top of the stairs, peeking down.
In the living room, Jaden stood holding a brand-new double-breasted coat.
Chase spread his arms, his face cold, as Jaden helped him into the coat.
"Several senators spoke out to the media today, accusing you of manipulating the economy and intending to destroy it," Jaden said quietly, not daring to raise his voice.
"Manipulation is certain, but saying it out loud is their mistake," Chase sneered. "Deal with them."
"Understood," Jaden nodded. "The president called you just now."
"Ignore it."
After a while, Chase left with Jaden.
Fairchild Estate was just a small mansion. Chase didn't live there.
Soon, new maids arrived, Susan and Olivia. Every day, they watched Hazel cautiously, afraid she might suddenly go crazy and do something unexpected. However, Hazel remained dull, silent all day, occasionally having fits of laughter in front of the mirror, which gradually eased their vigilance.
Hazel decided it was time to leave. It wasn't that she wanted to escape; she had food, drink, and care here, without staying here, she couldn't survive. But she needed to find time to leave, to see the world she hadn't seen in four years, and her four-year absent "family."
Sitting on the sofa, Hazel thought about this.
"Mr. Black hasn't been here for a few days. I wonder if he'll come today?" Susan asked as she wiped the sofa behind Hazel.
Olivia, kneeling on the floor cleaning the floor, replied, "He probably won't. I heard he's attending a banquet in the neighboring city today."
'If Chase wasn't coming back, then it would be easier.' Hazel thought, suddenly stood up from the sofa, starting to bounce and skip around, laughing foolishly after each jump.
Watching this, Susan and Olivia both silently agreed that she was having an episode.
Hazel bounced farther and farther, moving to the two maids' rooms. She quickly stole Susan's sleeping pills and ran into the kitchen.
"Oh, Miss, it's dangerous in the kitchen," Olivia hurriedly stopped her. "Come on, come with me."
"I want to play here! I want to play here!" Hazel started shouting, struggling as she bumped into the nearby counter.
Olivia quickly grabbed her, but Hazel took the advantage to drop the pills into a nearby water bottle.
After doing this, she pretended to let Olivia lead her out.
An hour later.
The whole mansion was unusually quiet, not a sound to be heard.
Hazel emerged from her room and found Susan and Olivia slumped against the wall, deeply asleep. She approached and moved them to the sofa, covering them with blankets. Given the dosage of the pills, they would sleep for five hours at least.
Hazel headed outside. She looked up at the deep blue sky and took a deep breath.
This was the taste of freedom.
She hailed a taxi and gave an address. "221 Crescent Lane, Maplewood District. How long will it take to get there?"
"About an hour if there's no traffic. Are you going?"
The driver glanced back at her.
"Let's go."
Throughout the journey, Hazel's eyes were fixed on the scenery outside the window. It had been four years since she set foot on this land, and the changes in the capital were astounding. New skyscrapers and buildings sprouted up everywhere, each scene unfamiliar to her.
The car stopped in front of a luxurious private villa. The driver said, "Miss, it's 58 dollars. Thank you."
There was no response.
The driver glanced back, seeing the girl sitting in the back seat, seemingly completely oblivious to his words, her eyes staring out dreamily at the villa through the car window.
"Miss? Is this your home?" the driver casually asked.
At his words, Hazel laughed, a bitter smile crossing her face. "An enemy's home."
The driver was taken aback.
"Just kidding," Hazel quickly added, not wanting to alarm him. "Can you wait for me for 10 minutes? I didn't bring any money. I'll go get it now."
"Of course," the driver nodded.
Hazel pushed open the car door and stepped out onto the roadside. Standing there, she looked up at the intricately carved large iron gate, memories from the past flooded back.
"Hazel, we adopted you because your blood is suitable for Chloe. You must take the medication so that your blood can be used to treat her!"
"Dad, it's hurt… I don't want to take the medicine anymore… Please…"
"You have no choice, take it! "
"Dad, I beg you, I beg you, I'm also your daughter. I'll repay you, please don't send me away, please…"
"Now that things have come to this, I'm not afraid to tell you. Chloe's cured. You're useless now."
"Today, you must marry!"
She had once knelt before her foster father, William Haynes, in front of this iron gate, clutching his hand and pleading desperately, begging him not to marry her off to an old man.
Her humble pleas were met with William's merciless truth.
Hazel stood there, her gaze shifting from the gate to the swing bench in the courtyard.
That day, Chloe sat elegantly on it in an expensive designer dress, kicked her chin with sharp heels.
"Hazel, I didn't want to marry you off so early, but Bryan likes you. He wrote you love letters, confessed to you, and chased after you at all costs."
"Look at this face. Do men like sluts like you?"
With that, Chloe raised her foot and viciously scratched her face.
Hazel fell to the ground.
At that moment, Hazel didn't resist; she only pleaded, tears streaming down her face, "Chloe, we're sisters, we grew up together…"
"Sisters? You're not even worthy of that," Chloe sneered disdainfully. "Hazel, you're just an abandoned baby. We raised you for eighteen years, and now it's time for you to repay us."
"Chloe…"
Chloe sat on the beautiful swing, ignoring her, and turned to William. "Dad, you talk to Mr. Bush. Tape her slutty look when fucked her and I'll show the footage to Bryan then and see if he still thinks the bitch is innocent and cute."
"Sure, whatever you want," William replied.