The memory of three years ago haunts Lila like a lingering nightmare. Whenever she closes her eyes, the fire, the burning yacht, and Amber's last desperate look, all come back like ghosts. However, time is the best anesthetic, and three years have passed, and peace seems to have returned to Lila's life - at least on the surface.
At the moment, Lila is sitting in one of Manhattan's most luxurious penthouses, a pink cocktail in her hand. Her fingertips gently rubbed the rim of the glass, but her gaze fell through the floor-to-ceiling windows to the shimmering waters of the Hudson River in the distance. The river that had once consumed Amber's life and a part of her conscience.
"Lila, you're gawking again." Jared's voice came from behind him with a hint of lazy laughter. He was wearing a dark blue silk robe, the neckline slightly open to reveal a firm chest. A bottle of red wine was in his hand, and he walked briskly to her side.
Lila didn't turn around, just smiled faintly. "Just remembering some old memories."
Jared set the red wine on the coffee table and smoothly sat down on the couch beside her. His fingers brushed over her shoulders with a familiar intimacy. "Old things should be let go. Aren't we good now?"
Lila turned her head and looked into Jared's deep eyes. His eyes were still mesmerizing, as if he could read her mind. But she knew those same eyes had watched Amber and had deceived another woman with the same tenderness.
"Do you really think we can go on like this forever?" Lila's voice was soft, like she was talking to herself.
Jared's smile faltered slightly, but quickly returned to its natural state. "Of course. We've gotten everything we wanted, haven't we?The Benson family's wealth, status, and even ... freedom."
Lila lowered her head and looked at the pink liquid in her glass. It was her favorite cocktail, the Pink Hemlock, dangerously named but addictively sweet. Just like her relationship with Jared, she knew it was poisonous, but she couldn't resist.
"Sometimes I dream about her." Lila's voice was almost faintly audible, "Dreams of her struggling in the fire, of the way she looks at us ... so hateful, so desperate."
Jared's brow furrowed, a hint of impatience in his tone. "Lila, stop talking about her. She's dead, been dead for three years. Our lives shouldn't be affected by a dead person."
Lila's fingers trembled slightly as a ripple spread through her glass. She knew Jared was right, that Amber was dead, dead in that fire, dead in their elaborate plot. But why, then, was there always a vague uneasiness in her heart?
"Jared," Lila suddenly looked up and straight into his eyes, "have you ever wondered if one day, someone finds out the truth ..."
"There won't be that day." Jared interrupted, his tone cold and sure. "The wreckage of the yacht has long since sunk to the bottom of the river, and all the evidence has been destroyed. No one will ever know that we engineered that fire, much less the cause of Amber's death."
Lila was silent for a moment before finally nodding. "You're right, I was overly concerned."
A smile reappeared on Jared's face as he reached for the glass of wine in Lila's hand and took a gentle sip. "That's the Lila I know. come on, enough with the boring stuff, we should celebrate."
"Celebrate what?" Lila was a little confused.
Jared's mouth quirked up in a meaningful smile. "Celebrate the fact that we're about to get the last of the Benson family's legacy."
Lila's pupils narrowed slightly. "You mean ... that trust fund?"
Jared nodded, a glint of greed in his eyes. "That's right. Benson Sr.'s will states that if Amber dies before she's thirty, the trust fund will be inherited by her immediate family. And Amber has no other relatives, so the money ... naturally goes to us."
Lila's heart suddenly raced and she felt her palms begin to sweat. "But ... didn't we already get most of the property? Why do we still need ..."
"Because there's three hundred million dollars in that trust fund." Jared's voice was low and seductive, "Three hundred million dollars, Lila.With that money, we could leave New York and go anywhere in the world and live the life we want."
Lila's breathing became rapid as a million images came to her mind: sunny beaches, luxurious private islands, endless wealth and freedom ... But immediately afterward, Amber's face reappeared in front of her eyes, and it was as if those hateful eyes were watching her.
"Jared," Lila's voice trembled a little, "can we really do this? Would that be ... too risky?"
Jared sneered, reaching out and cupping her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. "Lila, don't forget, there's no turning back. From the moment we decided to make Amber disappear, we were destined to come to this."
A flicker of fear flashed in Lila's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a sense of determination. She nodded, her voice low and firm. "You're right, we have no choice."
Satisfied, Jared let go of his hand and picked up his glass again, gently touching Lila's. "To our future."
Lila forced a small smile and raised her glass. "To the future."
The pink liquid sloshed around in the glass, reflecting her pale face.Lila raised the glass to her lips and took a gentle sip. The wine still tasted sweet, but at the moment it carried an indescribable bitterness.
Just then, the apartment's doorbell suddenly rang.Lila and Jared froze at the same time and glanced at each other.
"Who could it be at this late hour?" Lila asked a little uneasily.
Jared frowned and got up to walk towards the door. "It could be the property, I'll go check."
He opened the door and there stood a man in a black trench coat with a file in his hand. "Mr. Jared Thompson?"
Jared nodded and eyed him warily. "I am. What can I do for you?"
The man handed him the document, his tone calm and formulaic. "This is a court summons for you to appear in court next Monday regarding the inheritance of the Benson Family Trust."
Jared's face instantly turned pale as he took the document, his fingers trembling slightly. "What ... is going on here? Wasn't the succession to the trust fund already determined?"
The man shook his head, a hint of apology in his tone. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure of the specifics. You will need to contact your attorney."
With that, he turned to leave, leaving Jared standing in the doorway, the document clutched tightly in his hand.
Lila walked over, worry written all over her face. "Jared, what happened?"
Jared didn't answer, he just handed her the document.Lila took the document, quickly skimmed through it, and her face instantly turned pale.
"This can't be ..." she muttered, "How could anyone question our inheritance?"
A hint of gloom flashed in Jared's eyes, his voice low and icy. "It seems that someone doesn't want us to get that money easily."
Lila's heart sank as a sense of foreboding surged through her. She raised her head and looked into Jared's eyes, her voice trembling as she asked, "Jared, who do you think ... it could be?"
Jared was silent for a moment and slowly spat out two words, "Violet."
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A mysterious red-haired beauty, Violet, has appeared in Manhattan's upper class social circles, and her presence has caused Jared and Lila's lives to spiral completely out of control. And her true identity will unveil an elaborate revenge ...