Chapter 126\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucy\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had hated Catherine for as long as I could remember.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We met in college. I stood in the shadows, watching. Back then, Catherine walked through the campus like she owned it. She was beautiful, and she had that annoying gift of making people feel special when she spoke to them. Boys followed her like she was sunlight. Girls wanted to be her friend, or secretly be her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That was the first reason I hated her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The second reason was Jared Williams.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jared came from a rich family. Flourishing business. Every girl wanted him. I made sure he noticed me. I stayed close to the circles he moved in. I \u201caccidentally\u201d bumped into him in corridors. I offered him my body. He refused my advances curtly, saying he wasn\u2019t interested. Because he loved Catherine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the end of the second year, he proposed to Catherine. It was like the universe slapped me. I loathed him for that. And I loathed her even more for accepting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Six years later, my life looked nothing like the life I had imagined for myself. I was divorced, I had Maya, and I was constantly worried about money.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t marry my first husband for love, but because he had money. He could give me a lifestyle I chased. But my husband turned out to be weak. A drinker. A cheater. He insulted me in private and public. Told me I was a gold digger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One night I was sitting alone in a bar, bitter, broke and wanting what was mine\u2013Jared, even though he was married. After I had drank too much, I stumbled out of a bar with my heels in my hand and my head spinning. The city lights blurred. My throat burned from alcohol. My heart burned from jealousy. I was angry at the world, at Catherine, at Jared.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My eyes went to a girl standing on the street corner performing little magic tricks for a small group of people. At first, it looked like ordinary street entertainment\u2013coins disappearing, a ribbon turning into a living snake before sliding back into silk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She wore a long coat even though it wasn\u2019t that cold, and underneath, a dark dress that swayed around her ankles. Her hair was thick, falling like a curtain, and her skin looked pale. Around her neck was a strange pendant\u2013stone carved into an eye. But the air around her felt different. Was she a witch?\u00a0<\/p>\n
When everyone left, I stepped closer. \u201cHey, are you a witch?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She nodded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I laughed and said, voice thick with drink. \u201cCan you hex someone?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The girl looked up slowly. \u201cDepends,\u201d she said lightly. \u201cWho?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA woman,\u201d I said. \u201cCatherine Williams.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jall 4\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 126\u00a0<\/p>\n
The witch tilted her head. \u201cWhat do you want done?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed. Then I smiled. \u201cI want her dead.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
E55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
The girl didn\u2019t flinch. She just smiled wider, like I had offered her dessert. \u201cI can do that,\u201d she said. \u201cBut my charges are heavy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow heavy?\u201d I scoffed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She named a price that made my stomach drop. I stared at her. \u201cThat\u2019s insane.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want death,\u201d she replied softly. \u201cDeath is never cheap.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing her demeanor, I knew she was serious. So I agreed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her name was Rowan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Over the next few weeks, I went to meet Jared, became friends with Catherine, got into good books of the couple, and the rest was easier than I had imagined.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rowan didn\u2019t just help me poison Catherine. Once she was dead, she guided me with a few spells to control Jared. Rowan gave me potions. Tiny vials that smelled sweet and dangerous. Jared began drinking them without knowing\u2013mixed into tea, into soup, into medicine. At first, it was subtle. He grew softer, more distracted, less strong. Then he began to rely on me, needing me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stayed near Jared, playing the role of the concerned friend when his wife died. And slowly I stepped into her place, taking Maya with me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But now? A month later. I sat in the living room of the house, glaring at Jared while everything crumbled around me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked worse than usual. He coughed into his fist and leaned back, breathing like even sitting was exhausting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My anger only burned hotter. Everything I had planned for in my life had gone down the drain. After Catherine, Bella had emerged victorious. It was like Catherine never died.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy daughter is in prison,\u201d I hissed. \u201cAnd you\u2019re sitting here like a useless old man.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jared\u2019s eyes flashed. \u201cLucy-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo!\u201d I snapped. \u201cYou promised you\u2019d handle things.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He rubbed his temples. \u201cI tried.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou failed,\u201d I spat. \u201cYou failed to be a father to her. Failed to protect her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His breath hitched with frustration. \u201cMaya is not-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jall 4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 126\u00a0<\/p>\n
$5 vouchers?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is my daughter,\u201d I cut in sharply, \u201cand you married me. That makes her your responsibility.\u201d I gritted. \u201cI was so close,\u201d I said bitterly. \u201cI almost had the inheritance handled legally. You were going to disinherit Bella properly and secure what belongs in this house.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jared\u2019s face tightened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut now,\u201d I continued, voice rising, \u201cthe inheritance is gone. Isla gave the check to Bella on her wedding day. Just like that.\u201d I snapped my fingers. \u201cGone. And my daughter is behind bars.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jared exhaled, helpless. \u201cI can\u2019t do anything. The case is complicated.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cComplicated?\u201d I laughed harshly. \u201cEverything is complicated when you don\u2019t want to fight.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked at me with exhausted anger. \u201cI\u2019m sick, Lucy. I can barely-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I leaned forward, eyes cold. \u201cThen you are of no use to me.\u201d He stared, stunned. I hissed, \u201cI\u2019ve been running from pillar to post for Maya\u2019s bail. Begging lawyers, calling contacts, exhausting every favor. And you? You sit here and do nothing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He finally snapped, voice booming. \u201cBecause Maya committed a crime!\u201d His eyes were blazing now. \u201cIf she hadn\u2019t gotten into that useless blackmailing nonsense, she would be free!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow dare you accuse my daughter!\u201d I screamed. \u201cYou\u2019re biased. It was Craig who forced her into this!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jared shook his head, coughing hard. \u201cShe chose it\u2014\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My phone rang. I yanked it up, still shaking with fury. It was Gerald Jones\u2013Craig\u2019s father.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I answered, voice sharp. \u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice exploded through the phone. \u201cYou ruined my son\u2019s life! Your daughter trapped him into a heinous crime,\u201d Gerald shouted. \u201cAgainst a powerful man in the city. No lawyer wants to touch his case. Do you understand what that means?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clenched my teeth. \u201cMaya is innocent. It was Craig who forced her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Geral shouted, \u201cDon\u2019t insult me. I regret the day Craig met Maya. He had Bella\u2013Bella was a wonderful girl. And he lost her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My hand tightened around the phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI hate your daughter,\u201d he spat. \u201cShe pushed my son into this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shook with rage. \u201cGo to hell.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Gerald wasn\u2019t done. \u201cMaya better take all the blame and free Craig,\u201d he said coldly. \u201cOr I have ways to make sure the blame sticks to her. This case can drag for months. Years.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped. \u201cYou\u2019re disgusting.\u201d I snarled. \u201cDo what you want. I will make sure Maya comes out on bail.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 126\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hung up, shaking. And then stormed out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 voucher\u00a0<\/p>\n
The drive was a blur as I headed toward the outskirts of the city. I stopped in front of a lonely cottage surrounded by trees. I stepped out, walking quietly toward the door. As soon as I knocked, the door creaked\u00a0<\/p>\n
open.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLucy,\u201d Rowan said with her spooky smile. \u201cHow can I help you now?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
When Midnight Winds Carry Secrets Toward Worlds Yet Unknown 126 Chapter 126\u00a0 Lucy\u00a0 I had hated Catherine for as long […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-new-world-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23091\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}