"I'm sorry, there was nothing we could do. Your parents are gone," the doctor announced.
Crescentia stared at him blankly, her vision blurring as tears brimmed in her eyes. Her fists clenched tightly by her sides.
Her parents were gone. Just like that.
No. That was impossible. They must be mistaken. Her mind rejected the words. Gone? No. That wasn't possible. Just this morning, her mother had given her a stern yet caring look because she settled for cereals for breakfast that morning. Just last night, her father had laughed at her terrible cooking. They weren't gone. They couldn't be.
"Please, doctor, you need to check again," she cried, her tears falling uncontrollably. "It can't be that my parents are dead." Her voice cracked as she grabbed the doctor's white coat and yanked him. "That can't be!" She choked on her sobs, struggling to breathe.
A sharp voice interrupted.
"Will you get a hold of yourself?"
Crescentia barely registered her aunt's cold glare as she rushed past her and ran into the hospital room.
She came to an abrupt stop.
There, on the beds, lay two still figures, covered by white sheets.
Her heart pounded violently in her chest. Without thinking, she grabbed the blankets and ripped them away.
"They're not dead!" she screamed. "You didn't do your job right! Try again!"
But the doctor didn't move. No one did.
Crescentia wiped at her tears furiously. Her hands shook as she pressed her palms together.
"They can't be dead," she whispered, voice barely audible. "No… No, they can't be."
A sudden force yanked her backward.
A sharp smack rang through the room, the impact making her head snap to the side.
Her cheek burned.
"Quit your drama and act normal," Victoria snapped, her expression filled with disgust. "You're acting like you're the first person to lose their parents in a car accident."
Crescentia's breath hitched. She clutched her burning cheek, her head lowering.
"Are you forgetting this is a hospital?" Magnus added coldly before turning to the doctor. "It's unfortunate that we lost my dear brother and his wife. Please arrange for them to be taken to the morgue. We'll handle the rest."
The doctor gave a small nod before turning away.
Crescentia barely registered anything around her.
Victoria let out a scoff. "Instead of being grateful that you weren't in that car with them, you're here making a scene."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Crescentia's tear-streaked face. Then she sneered.
"Now look at you. You look like a monster."
With that, she turned on her heel and walked out. Magnus followed.
It wasn't long before she followed them outside, still in a daze.
She was about to get into the car when Victoria's voice stopped her.
"Oh… we'll be picking up Juliette from college. There won't be any seats left if you sit here," she said dismissively. "Be a sweetheart and take a taxi."
Without waiting for a response, they drove off.
Crescentia watched as the car disappeared into the streets, her heart sinking.
When had they started treating her this way? Her aunt and uncle had never been affectionate, but today… something felt off.
Especially inside the hospital, when the doctor announced her parents' deaths.
The thought made fresh tears threaten to spill, but she wiped them away.
A quick glance at her watch made her breath catch.
6:00 PM.
She was two hours late.
Her little sister was still waiting for her at school.
Panic shot through her, but she forced herself to focus. Digging through her pockets, she found just enough change to call for a taxi.
When she arrived at the school, Noella ran toward her, eyes shining.
"You came to pick me up today. What about Uncle Timothy?" she asked, her dark green eyes filled with curiosity.
Crescentia forced a smile. "Uncle Timothy is on leave today." It was a lie. She had tried calling their driver, but his number wouldn't go through.
Noella pouted. "Then what about Mother and Father?"
Crescentia stiffened.
Her body tensed as if she had just been struck by lightning.
She couldn't bring herself to say the words.
She couldn't tell Noella that their parents were gone.
"They were busy, so they couldn't come." She forced a smile. "But this is still good. I get to listen to your stories."
At that, Noella instantly cheered up. "Okay! So today, my teacher said—"
Crescentia let out a quiet breath of relief as her little sister continued talking, oblivious to the storm brewing around them.
When they finally arrived at their family mansion, Crescentia's steps faltered.
The front yard was in chaos.
Servants were being thrown out, their luggage tossed onto the pavement. Security guards lay sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain.
Her grip on Noella tightened.
"What's going on here?" she demanded.
The butler rushed up to her, his face filled with distress. "Miss Crescentia, these men came out of nowhere and started chasing us away!"
A huge frown settled on her face. "Who asked them to do that? They can't just walk into someone's property and start doing as they please. And what about the security, why didn't they stop them?"
The butler turned to a corner and Crescentia saw the guards all laid sprawled with injuries on their faces.
She gasped in shock.
"They said their boss told them to do this."
Out of rage, Crescentia was about to pull one of the men and question them who their boss could be, but a voice from them stopped her.
"I thought I asked you to clear them out before I got here," Magnus said impatiently. Beside him was Victoria, and her cousin, Juliette who was twirling a piece of hair with her finger.
The man Crescentia was about to question replied. "Apologies, boss. They resisted, but we're almost done."
Crescentia's breath caught in her throat. "Uncle… what's the meaning of this?"
Magnus arched his brow. "What do you mean? I'm moving in."
At first, she thought he meant to support them. Maybe he was moving in to offer comfort.
But then—why chase out the servants?
Something was wrong.
"I don't understand."
Juliette let out a mocking laugh. "Are you slow?" she sneered. "Father said the will has already been read. Your parents transferred everything in their name to us."
Crescentia's blood turned cold.
Juliette smirked. "And now, we're claiming what's rightfully ours." Her voice dripped with amusement. "Do you have a problem with that, Cress?"